The House of Representatives has mandated
its committees on Information and Culture,
National Orientation, Ethics and Values to
interface with the Nigeria Communications
Commissions (NCC), and conduct an inquiry
into planned introduction of a new price
regime by Statelite Television company,
MNET for its DSTV and GOtv subscribers.
The joint comittee, which will also
investigate failure of MNET to adopt the
“pay as you go” option for Nigerian
subscribers, is to report back to the House
in eight weeks, for further legislative action.
The resolution o§f the House was
subsequent to the adoption of a motion
entitled: “Need to Investigate the Exorbitant
Charges and Refusal of Multi-choice
Statelite Television to Adopt Pay- as -You –
Go Pakage Option”, sponsored by Abbas
Tajudeen.
Tajudeen in his lead debate on the motion,
described as highly insensitive, the trend in
which the prices of different bouquet
Multichoice Satellite Television outlets have
been increased in recent years . He also
condemned the refusal of the company to
offer “pay- as- you- go” option on its digital
satellite television, which he said is causing
a financial strain on its subscribers.
According to him, it has been the practice
for the company to increase the price of it’s
various packages almost on a yearly basis.
“In 2013, the monthly subscription increased
by 7-10 percent in 2014 by 10-15 percent
and in 2015 by 10-22 percent and just
recenltly, the company sent a notification of
another price increase with effect from May.
“DSTV does not have a pay- as- you- go
plan like most similar communication
companies around the world , thereby
making its subscription plan to expire at the
end of the monthly subscription period,
whether or not the subscriber uses the
services,” he said.
He argued that the regular increase in the
prices of the various bouquet and MNET”s
failure to adopt a “pay- as -you- go”
payment option goes against globally
acceptable fair business practice.
He expressed concern on the seeming
inability of the relevant regulatory agencies
to police the industry.
The motion was unanimously adopted by
members when it was put to a voice vote by
the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun who
presided over the plenary.
from The Sun
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