Zimbaweans face 182% hike in mobile call tariffs

Zimbabweans will have to pay more for mobile calls after the country's telecoms regulator hiked tariffs by 182%.

The latest adjustment will see on-net calls per minute cost 48 cents (Zimbabwean dollars), up from 17 cents.

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) justified the upward tariff adjustment as a way to keep operators viable amid increasing costs of doing business.

The last tariff adjustment was in April 2019, following what Potraz called “the introduction of market determined interbank exchange rates as well as cost movements during the year 2018 and fuel price increases in January 2019”.

In a circular announcing the tariff hike, Potraz Director General, Gift Machengete, said the operating environment has since changed for operators due to inflationary pressures bedevilling the economy.

Year-on-year inflation for the month of June reached a 10-year high of 175.66%.

“Accordingly, the Authority has found it necessary review tariff thresholds for telecommunication services,” said Machengete.

Post published in: Business

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