Subscribers report unchanged rates
Agency denies, vows court action
TCRA
Question have been raised as to the ability of the
Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) to enforce its
mandate following an outright defiance of mobile phone service providers
after they refused to observe a set deadline to lower the
interconnection charges by Friday.
According to a survey done by The Guardian, mobile phone operators
were, until yesterday (day three), still charging the very high rates of
115/- instead of 34/92 per minute passed by TCRA.
The high rates have been a big burden to the public for quite
sometime such that it compelled the authority to convene, advise and
then direct the providers to lower them.
But that is not the case as reported by sbucribers.
Dar es Salaam resident, Anna Mghirwa was ecstatic with the ordered
reduction only to wake up to the same overcharged rates shattering her
day completely.
“…I was excited and then this…I was hoping that now I can start saving…they have spoilt my whole day…,” she complained.
Hamida Ally, another city resident, also expressed her displeasure
and like other interviewed persons, she demanded to know whether the
authority had any say over the matter or whether it will admit its
failure to enforce the disobeyed directive.
So The Guardian sought out the authority’s response only to run into a contradictory atmosphere all together.
TCRA Acting Head of Corporate Communications Semu Mwakyanjala
controversially insisted that the new rates did come to effective as
set, on Friday.
He claimed: “…the telecommunication companies are operating under the new rates....”
That assertion also did not go a long way in alleviating mounting
public concerns who argue that the agreement may be on paper but not in
practice.
Giving a practical response, he advised all who wish to file formal
complaints to obtain printed call records from the service providers
and then send them to the agency.
The acting head said is confident that the directives have been
complied with and that the authority has a security system for the very
purpose of detecting the rate changes as well as specialists whose sole
purpose is to closely monitor the new interconnection charges.
“…the new rates are legally accepted by all mobile phone operators
in the country…,” Mwakyanjala asserted and clarified that all service
providers have in fact “…signed an agreement requiring them to start
charging the new rates on March 1, this year…”
Nonetheless he did indirectly hint towards the possible chances of defiance by the service providers.
“…should it be found that the telecommunication companies have
defied the order, then legal action will be instituted against them
promptly...,” he warned.
In January of this year, TCRA announced progressive voice call
termination rates per minute to be 34/92 considerably lower compared to
last year’s 115/-. The rate is also to increasingly decrease as follows:
2014 is set for 32/40, dropping to 30/58 in 2015, 28/57 in 2016 and
26/96 in 2017.
Mwakyanjala also made clear that the telecom companies were given
adequate time ahead of the rate changes and 30 days to appeal if they
were not satisfied with the new rates.
However according to the authority, not one of them did so and as
such, any default from this agreement warrants stringent measures.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
This post was written by: Author Name
Your description comes here!
Get Free Email Updates to your Inbox!
Post a Comment