Macra welcomes removal of roaming charges

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) says the removal of roaming charges in four Sadc economies will enable more Malawians to communicate when they travel to neighbouring countries.

The initiative, dubbed ‘Roam Like Home’, which comes into effect in August was adopted by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) information technology ministers in 2011. 

In a written response on Wednesday, Macra director general Daudi Suleman said staying connected while outside one’s country is a key element in promoting continuity of business.

He said: “The initiative means that a Malawian subscriber will be charged their Malawi rates (with no extra cost), when they travel outside the country.

“This makes a big difference to the customers that move across boundaries in doing business or visiting family, they will remain connected and reachable through the friendly costs that the initiative will bring.”

This initiative is part of Sadc’s efforts to establish a One Network Area and to move closer to a single digital market.

The elimination of roaming charges is expected to benefit businesspeople who often travel across the four countries for work.

In an interview on Wednesday, Emily Nyirenda, a cross-border trader said the removal of the roaming fees will enhance her communication with customers.

She said: “This will make it much easier for us to communicate with our customers while we are outside the country. Sometimes we fail to make the right business decisions for the customer because of limited communication.”

Sadc is not the only regional bloc in Africa to pursue a single digital market.

According to the Ecofin News Agency, since 2014, East African Community (EAC) member countries have been implementing measures to harmonise roaming rates. So far, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan have implemented the measures.

In February, the EAC Sectoral Council on Transport, Communications, and Meteorology ordered Tanzania and Burundi to harmonise their roaming rates with community standards by 30 August.