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TelOne ordered to slash tariffs
MISA-Zimbabwe
September 10, 2009

http://www.misazim.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=609&Itemid=1

The Minister of Information, Communication Technologies on 8 September 2009 ordered its fixed telephone service provider, TelOne, to reduce its tariff charges by 50 percent in a move designed to align them with regional charges.

As of March this year the average regional tariffs were noted as follows: South Africa's MTN was charging 37 cents a unit while Botswana's Mascom charged 23 cents. Kenya's Celtel was charging 39 cents, Celtel (Zambia) 22 cents, Vodacom of Mozambique 28 cents, Lesotho's Vodacom 38 cents and Swaziland 29 cents.

The reduction of the charges backdates all bills sent to customers between February and June this year. He also appealed to TelOne customers to settle their bills by the end of October to avoid being disconnected thereafter.

According to Chamisa, the move to reduce the bills in retrospect was to allow disgruntled customers of the country's sole fixed telephone service provider to pay realistic charges while allowing the parastatal to also remain viable.

He said his ministry had in the past months been inundated with complaints from customers who felt their bills were too exorbitant.

"From February to end of June (2009), the tariff is going to be 5 cents per minute," said Chamisa.

"The tariff was 10 cents, which constituted 30 cents per unit (of three minutes). The bills are going to be revised downwards across the board to make sure that we allow people to pay for realistic bills."

Chamisa said this was consistent with the new scientific method of charging for telephone services following the turbulent period last year where prices were rising daily due to hyperinflation.

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