The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) last night said there was no plan to increase telecoms tariff in the country.
The regulatory body called on subscribers not to panic as the commission is committed to ensuring that it adheres to international best practices and established procedures in its regulatory duties.
A statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs of the NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, noted that the NCC had monitored “the deluge of reports in the media on the demand by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) ostensibly to increase tariffs of telecom services and has taken notes of the fears being expressed by telecom subscribers on the agitation.
The demand being made by MNOs under the auspices of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), citing high cost of running their operations as the major reason for their proposed tariff hike, is contained in a letter to the commission, the NCC said.
The commission further said: “Consistent with international best practice and established regulatory procedures, the NCC ensures its regulatory activities are guided by regular cost-based and empirical studies to determine appropriate cost (upper and floor price) within which service providers are allowed to charge their subscribers for services delivered.
