South Sudan communication authority endorses mobile tariff hike

JUBA – The Board of Directors of the National Communication Authority during a meeting Chaired by professor John Apuruot Akec over the weekend endorsed the recent increased mobile tariff rates.

“Among other things that were considered by the board is to endorse the recent change in the exchange rate that is going to be used by mobile network operators to convert from dollar to South Sudanese pounds,” Akec who is a Chairperson of the Board of Directors said over the weekend.

Akec said the exercise will be implemented in three phases over the next three months.

Akec added rate will be reviewed if the exchange rate of the dollar reduces.

“This is going to take place in stages so it does not become a shock like you know up to Christmas, it will change gradually over three months until we reach them but is also subject to review should exchange rate improve then we also expect customers to benefit,” Ake said.

He explained that the dollar prices for calls or data have not changed.

“The dollar prices or the rate per unit call or the data has not changed and what has changed is the exchange rate and obviously if the operators exactly continue to change from dollar to South Sudanese pounds using an old rate that is going to work at a loss,” he said.

“This has implications on consumers because they are going to feel that their money does not last as it owns to be and this is expected, the rate will go up because the exchange rate has gone up due to in increase of the price of the dollar.”

He said the increase aims to prevent mobile network operators from collapsing.

“That is not good for them and it could, in the end, be a disadvantage on the country because they would not invest and some of them may exactly go out of business and they would be attractive,” he said.

“Like anything else, they depend on the fuel whose prices have gone up because the fuel is imported and other things and they also have to pay their workers, give them higher pay because the prices have gone up and that means a loss to them.”