Telecoms Globacom, Airtel, MTN, and others, have issued a seven days warning to raise tariffs if the Federal Government does not resolve critical issues currently affecting the industry.
Speaking on behalf of the telecoms at a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), gave the Federal Government seven days to act.
Adebayo said the seizure of cellular sites in Kogi, concerns about degrading quality of services in Abuja, high cost of diesel, inflation, and safety of telecom workers are the issues presently bedeviling the telecom industry.
ALTON chairman said all the telecom operators had expressed their concern about the shutting down of telecommunications facilities in Kogi State because of disputes arising from taxes and levies demanded by the Kogi State Government through the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS).
“This issue is likely to lead to a total communications blackout in the entire Kogi State, parts of Abuja the Federal Capital Territory, and possible impact on service availability in some parts of the following States: Nassarawa, Benue, Enugu, Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, Niger States.
“ALTON and its members will no longer tolerate discriminatory charges against the sector.
The industry is planning to begin a study on varying tariffs to some of the unfriendly telecommunications States in other to accommodate their demand’.”
ALTON also expressed concerns about the rising cost of diesel and its implications on the generally high cost of business.
“We are concerned that unless there is an intervention to save this sector, operators will have no choice but to begin a process of price review.
“The state of security in our country is of concern, while we commend all our security agencies for the work they do to keep us all safe, the impact of the general state of security in the country is that we are not able to provide 24/7 support in certain areas as it is unsafe to send out service personnel to some parts of the country and to other at certain times of the day.”
Adebayo said the seizure of cellular sites in Kogi, concerns about degrading quality of services in Abuja, high cost of diesel, inflation, and safety of telecom workers are the issues presently bedeviling the telecom industry.
ALTON chairman said all the telecom operators had expressed their concern about the shutting down of telecommunications facilities in Kogi State because of disputes arising from taxes and levies demanded by the Kogi State Government through the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS).
“This issue is likely to lead to a total communications blackout in the entire Kogi State, parts of Abuja the Federal Capital Territory, and possible impact on service availability in some parts of the following States: Nassarawa, Benue, Enugu, Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, Niger States.
“ALTON and its members will no longer tolerate discriminatory charges against the sector.
The industry is planning to begin a study on varying tariffs to some of the unfriendly telecommunications States in other to accommodate their demand’.”
ALTON also expressed concerns about the rising cost of diesel and its implications on the generally high cost of business.
“We are concerned that unless there is an intervention to save this sector, operators will have no choice but to begin a process of price review.
“The state of security in our country is of concern, while we commend all our security agencies for the work they do to keep us all safe, the impact of the general state of security in the country is that we are not able to provide 24/7 support in certain areas as it is unsafe to send out service personnel to some parts of the country and to other at certain times of the day.”
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