Telecom subscribers appeal to FG to abolish arbitrary charges by network providers

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(Nigeria) The National Association of Telecom Subscribers, NATCOMS, on Thursday appealed to the Federal Government to abolish arbitrary charges by the network providers.
Chief Dele Ogunbanjo, President of NATCOMS, told NAN in Lagos that the abolition of the charges would enhance the development of broadband and quality services by the operators.
Ogunbanjo lamented that the intervention of the Federal Government was necessitated by the multiple taxation by some state governments.
He said that some state governments were charging between N500,000 and N800,000 monthly, on each mast.
``The telecoms operators are also charged N5,000 per metre as they laid their fibres cables across the country,” he said.
Ogunbanjo said the high charges and others like Right of Way restrictions and costs, as well as the security challenges ``make things particularly difficult for the network providers”.
``The Ministry of Communications and Technology has been able to partner with the Lagos State Government to reduce the cost of Right of Way in the state to about N500 per metre,” he said.
Ogunbanjo said that subscribers also complained of poor quality of service that has been on the increase in recent times.
``I, therefore, plead with other state governments to imbibe the Lagos State Government model by partnering with the Federal Ministry of Communication and Technology to reduce their arbitrary charges.
``This will assist the network providers to be able to free more resources to develop their infrastructure, which would, in turn, grow our economy,’’ he said
Ogunbanjo urged the telecommunication operators to work as a team, to enhance their activities.

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