Inside the billion pula tariff war
Friday, June 09, 2017
A battle is raging over BOCRA's plans to reduce cellphone tariffs
The mobile phone service provider had approached the court seeking an interim interdict to halt the implementation of BOCRA’s directive and a subsequent ruling that were implemented on Thursday last week. Mascom Wireless argues that the reduction in tariffs was not done in good faith and that there are prospects of success in having the March directive reviewed or set aside by the court. In the court papers, Mascom argues that:
“The approved prepaid tariffs are the maximum prices that shall be charged for any prepaid call service offered by Mascom. Mascom shall ensure that all existing packages are revised accordingly and charged within the set ceiling. The approved postpaid prices are the maximum prices that shall be charged for any postpaid call package offered by Mascom for consumer, business and other packages. All existing postpaid packages shall have prices charged within the set ceiling”.
That should concern every Motswana. The implications extend far beyond cattle and farmers. Botswana’s beef industry is a critical pillar of the economy, supporting thousands of households and sustaining businesses along the value chain.The loss of access to lucrative export markets has already demonstrated how quickly an animal-health crisis can become an economic crisis.This is, therefore, not the time for complacency, blame, or political...