ATCIS Votes against Tariff Hike for Telcos

Association of Telephone Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS) has gone against the 10 per cent increase by telecoms operator, maintaining that it will add to the economic burden for the subscribers.

This is coming after National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), another subscribers’ body urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to consider the increase to moderate the rising operational costs in the nation’s telecommunications sector.

But Sina Bilesanmi, national president of ATCIS, said the proposed tariff increase should be suspended, while urging the telecoms operators to improve the quality if their services.

Bilesanmi said the subscribers were not enjoying the services of many operators even before the economic hardship set in. “The proposed 10 per cent increase is not welcome now.

If they want to increase their tariffs, they should first give us quality services, we cannot continue paying for the services we don’t enjoy. We can’t continue wasting our hard earned money on low quality services.

“We Insist that the services quality be improved on, then we can now talk on the tariffs increase,” he said. Also speaking on the five per cent excise duty reintroduced on telecoms by the Federal Government, the ATCIS boss said it should be stopped.

Recall that the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers had urged the NCC to consider the 10 per cent tariff increase to moderate the rising operational costs in the nation’s telecommunications sector.

Ogunbanjo, said that the tariff hike is necessary for telecom companies to sustain their operations and improve service quality.

He stated that the current economic conditions are negatively impacting telecom operators’ business, making it crucial for the regulatory agency to find a balanced solution.

He stated: “When you now look at the quality of service the telecoms companies are rendering this day, it is very poor, and they are also complaining.

Do not forget that they said their operations were getting burdensome because of the rising costs of things, such as petrol, diesel and some other things, that will make the network function appropriately.

“They are complaining. I think in the last 11 years, they have not increased their service charge, operational costs have increased but not physical like we see in petrol,” the NATCOMS chief stated.