By Seun Adams
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said unequivocally that any form of increase of airtime/tariff in the telecommunications sector by network operators is not feasible for now.
NCC has therefore roundly condemned such news making the rounds within quarters as fake and at best a rumor of a purported upward review of tariff by January 2025.
Because of the rigorous procedure and guidelines involved in tariff increase, NCC insists there is no iota of truth in the rumour which made the rounds across quarters and in the sector in the past days.
An insider at the Commission who spoke on the grounds of anonymity to our Reporter over the weekend, said the rumour mongers have no facts and are being economical with the truths about the goings on within the Commission.
On why any tariff cannot even be contemplated for now, the informant explained that NCC does not have a management board that would oversee or approve such a critical decision that will impact the consumers which NCC is so concerned about.
Let us be honest and lets face the fact, we presently don’t have a management board and so how you start and conclude tariff. It is the President that has responsibility for the appointment of board members.
According to him, it is after a thorough board deliberation that the Commission will engage consultants and from there various stakeholders will be involved backed with data drive before any form of review whatsoever.
“Beside these layers, don’t forget that there is the policy guidelines and legal perspective to all this.” He added.
Speaking further, he added: “It is after all this that the Commission will come up with a new template announcing the framework putting into consideration inputs from consumers.
According to him, it is a misnomer for network operators and players to go to town and announce tariff increase for reasons best known to them, even as they ascribed it to the increase in their cost of operations like diesel, power, cost of funding and infrastructure etc etc.
Recall that the last increase in tariff was over ten years which was comprehensive adding that such still subsist and has not been exhausted and therefore the presently reason for any adjustment or increase has to come from the Commission.
He said: “At the moment network operators charge consumers for airtime per minute N6 and 40k, with the highest cap being N50 per minute.”
However, he added that competition as encouraged by NCC has forced some players to reduce their tariffs so that they can float within the landscape.
