Director General of the Postal and Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), Dr Gift Machengete, has defended the recent tariff hikes by mobile network operators (MNOs), Econet, NetOne and Telecel.
Machengete revealed that local data tariffs compare favourably with those charged in regional countries and that MNOs did not really raise data tariffs but only revised the promotions they were offering.
Speaking at the launch of a shared base station in Zhombe over the weekend, Machengete said:
I am aware that there is an outcry among consumers following this development.
However, it is important to note that, after the recent increases, all three networks are offering bundled data of between two and four cents per megabyte (MB), which is the approved ceiling of six cents per MB that became effective on April 1, 2019.
Be that as it may, we appreciate the outcry over the increases in bundled data tariffs as they are now beyond the reach of many and we sympathise with consumers.
In this regard, the authority will continue exploring ways of making tariffs more affordable including ensuring improved network efficiencies and lobbying government to reduce taxes on airtime, among other strategies.
There was a public outcry when all the three MNOs hiked data tariffs, effectively raising the price of data three times its cost over the past couple of years.
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