Service Providers Yet To Get Approval For Increase In Tariffs – Source

Contrary to speculations in the media over alleged increase in tariffs by service providers expected to commence in January 2025, insiders sources close to the serrvice providers have confided in Forefront News that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is yet to give any official nod to any form of increase in tariffs.

This was as a dependable source at the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy  dismissed such a claims, saying that there were totally untrue and uncalled for.

Checks by Forefront News indicated that the alleged approval for increase in tariff were merely in the realm of speculations as it was gathered that the procedures for any increase in tariff are cumbersome, rigorous, evidence-based and data-driven.

It was also gathered at the Ministry of Communications being the supervisory body of the NCC that it is only a properly constitutted board of the NCC that can give such an approval if any.

According to the Ministry source that does not want to be quoted since he was not officially authorised to speak on the matter, said; “As at now, there is no board of the NCC in place as it yet to be constituted by President Bola Tinubu”.

Another source close to the office of the minister of Communications and Digital Economy, said that the Ministry was taken aback on hearing and reading of an alleged approval of tariffs, stressing that it was clear that the speculations could only have come from one direction -some desperate telecom operators.

The source said; “There have speculations on increase in tariff by service providers. These are the handiwork of some desperate telecom operators in the past two years, who are working so hard through the back door to get increase in tariff willy-nilly.

“I can confidently say that the reported approved increase in tariff is totally unfounded and not true. There is no increases anywhere.

“The NCC does not have a Management Board to approve such a review and cannot be done unilaterally, or through any back door process,” the source stressed.

The source explained that he does not think that even if a Board of the NCC is constituted today by Mr President, the Commission’s immediate concerns and priority would certainly not to increase tariffs in view of the financial stress Nigerians are experiencing.