Ugandan mobile service providers on Monday unanimously praised a move by the government that would see the overall price of routing calls drop. The rate will be reduced to sh98 (ZAR 29c), from the current sh131 (ZAR 39c), a PriceWaterHouse Coopers (PWC) UK report said last week, and which the government seemed keen on following on Friday.
This means that mobile operators are now able to possibly negotiate those costs between operators on their own in order to achieve a rate closer to sh98 (ZAR 29c). It could also mean another price war may well be on the way.
But overall, it is healthy news for the economy, which will see users have reduced calling prices.
If firms cannot agree on a price near the sh98, come August 1, it will not matter and the Uganda Communications Commission will set the fee as the standard.
“It has been a contentious issue. Most operators complained that the sh131 was too high,” Godfrey Mutabazi, UCC’s executive director, told reporters.
“We don’t promise that we will adjust this figure, but the Act will help us to have the mandate to enforce these rates,” Mutabazi said.
Joseph Mayton
