The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers has rejected telcos’ planned tariff hike and called on the Nigerian Communications Commission not to approve it.

NATCOMS said this in a communiqué issued after its national exco held an emergency meeting on the planned tariff hike of telecommunication services in the country.

The communiqué signed by its national president, Adeolu Ogunbanjo and the national secretary, Bayo Omotubora, also advised operators to embrace other options for generating funds for their operations.

The duo explained that the new increment would make telecommunication services more expensive by 40 per cent and attract a 12.5 per cent tax rate, pricing two-thirds of telecom services subscribers out of its market.

“Under the new tariffs regime, a voice call will rise from N11.00 to N15.40 per minute, and short message services will jump from N4.00 to N5.60. One GB data bundle will move from N1,000 to N1,400,” said the association. “This represents additional digital costs consumers will have to square up with at the beginning of a new year among other harsh economic realities of Nigeria of today.”

NATCOMS suggested the Nigerian Stock Exchange, for instance, as a veritable avenue for the operators to raise funds to meet their cost requirements.

“This Association considers the decision of the NCC as very insensitive and not in the interest of telecoms services consumers. The new increment is, therefore one additional burden too many,” NATCOMS added.

NATCOMS noted that telecoms services were taxable services under the Value Added Tax Act, amended in 2019 by the Finance Act, to raise the tax rate from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent.

“That increment brought about untold hardship to our members, many of whom have been forced to cut back on their telecommunication requirements,” it stressed.

The association urged the NCC to reconsider its decision in the interest of the generality of citizens.

The NCC, when contacted for its reaction, said all issues around the tariff hike should be ignored.

It promised to issue an official statement to the public to clarify all speculations about the telecom tariff hike.

(NAN)