The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to suspend the proposed hike in telecommunications tariffs until telecom companies improve their services.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This development comes after a motion of urgent public importance was sponsored by Oboji Oforji, representing Bayelsa in the PDP, during Tuesday’s plenary session.
Oforji argued that telecom companies must enhance their service delivery before increasing tariffs. He warned that the proposed hike would exacerbate financial struggles for the average Nigerian, threaten the country’s vision of leveraging technology to drive economic revival, and widen existing inequalities.
According to Oforji, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), are currently consulting on the tariff increase. Telecom companies have been advocating for a hike for the past eleven years, citing the need for cost-reflective tariffs due to adverse economic realities.
However, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers has rejected the proposed increase, describing it as insensitive and a further burden on consumers already grappling with economic hardship and poor network service delivery.
Lawmakers were divided on the issue, with some supporting the motion and others opposing it. Billy Osawaru, representing Edo in the APC, supported the motion, stating that Nigerians would not mind paying increased tariffs if the services rendered were effective. On the other hand, Dominic Okafor, representing Anambra in the APGA, argued that telecom operators should be allowed to increase their tariffs due to the increased cost of doing business in the country.
The House of Representatives has urged the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, and the NCC, to suspend the proposed tariff hike until telecom companies improve their services.