Categories: Stories

Econet barred from increasing tariffs

The Administrative Court has barred Econet, the country’s largest mobile phone operator, from increasing tariffs from the current 15 cents a minute to 21 cents.

The country’s mobile phone operators- Econet, NetOne and Telecel- were ordered by the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to reduce tariffs from 23 cents a minute to 15 cents at the beginning of this year.

POTRAZ further said the operators must reduce the tariffs to 12 cents a minute next year and 9 cents a minute in 2017.

The POTRAZ directive followed a study of tariff structures in the region in which all three mobile operators participated.

According to The Chronicle, Econet took the regulatory authority to court arguing that it could not charge the same rates as the other two operators because it had paid its licence in full. It also argued that the regulatory determination setting tariff thresholds was discriminatory.

Econet, which has more than 60 percent of the mobile phone subscribers, has been reeling under the new tariffs which have seen its profits plummet by 52 percent to $23 million for the six months to August.

The operator also instituted a 20 percent salary cut, retrenched about 100 employees and demanded a 15 percent price reduction from suppliers to stay afloat.

According to Forbes, Econet’s value plunged by 63 percent from last year resulting in its boss Strive Masiyiwa dropping out of the 50 richest Africans list, though the minimum net worth had dropped from $510 million to $330 million.

Masiyiwa’s net-worth was previously put at $600 million.

(56 VIEWS)

This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 9:27 am

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Can the ZiG sustain its rally against the US dollar?

Zimbabwe’s battered currency, the Zimbabwe Gold, which was under attack until the central bank devalued…

November 10, 2024

Will Mnangagwa go against the trend in the region?

Plans by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to push President Emmerson Mnangagwa to…

October 22, 2024

The Zimbabwe government and not saboteurs sabotaging ZiG

The Zimbabwe government’s insatiable demand for money to satisfy its own needs, which has exceeded…

October 20, 2024

The Zimbabwe Gold will regain its value if the government does this…

Economist Eddie Cross says the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) will regain its value if the government…

October 16, 2024

Is Harare the least democratic province in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, which is a metropolitan province, is the least democratic province in the…

October 11, 2024

Zimbabweans against extension of presidential term in office

Nearly 80% of Zimbabweans are against the extension of the president’s term in office, according…

October 11, 2024