Cama pens Macra on poor network, prices

Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) has expressed concern  regarding the poor quality of service and exorbitant charges by the mobile telecommunication providers, especially Airtel Malawi and TNM plc.

In a letter to Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) dated August 9 2017, Cama said the regulators’  inaction and silence is of concern at a time consumers are being abused by mobile telecommunication servcie providers.

Reads the letter in part: “We are aware that under the Communication Act, your authority has the mandate to approve any revised tariffs and services provided to consumers by the mobile telecommunication providers and that such a process should be based on justifiable economic reasons.

“It is, therefore, surprising that the consumers continue to pay for high charges and subjected to poor network services while you, as a regulator, has decided to abandon your legal mandate as stipulated in the Communications Act.”

In the letter, addressed to Macra director general, Kapito said consumers are currently shocked to receive notices from Airtel Malawi that the operator is upgrading its network and that consumers will continue experiencing poor service delivery without any remedial measures to protect consumers during.

Macra’s head of economic regulation Andrew Nyirenda is on record as having said that the regulator was set to ensure that there are pricing controls that would be adhered to by all players in the sector.

He said: “We want operators to provide services at a cost which consumers are able to pay. What we want to achieve is that operators should not provide services that are above or below the set parameters.

“They should provide services that consumers are willing to pay for as well as enhancing competition.” n