By John Okello Lapok
KAMPALA- The Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Sanjay Tanna alongside his junior Minister for Trade Gen Wilson Mbadi have put local telecommunications giants MTN-Uganda and Airtel-Uganda to task to explain why they cheat consumers through airtime and data bundles depletions.
The same networks during a meeting at the Ministry and attended by their regulator-UCC, were grilled over unstable network connectivity and unaffordable communication services for Ugandans.
The meeting took place at the Ministry’s boardroom yesterday Thursday.
The meeting attended by the Uganda Communications Commission officials, follows complaints from users about the quality, accessibility and affordability of telecommunications services in Uganda.
The meeting, chaired by Hon. Tanna, highlighted several issues affecting consumers, including unstable network connectivity, the commissioning of MTN and Airtel mobile money dealers, and complaints about airtime and data bundles expiring or being depleted before consumers have fully utilised them.
Hon. Tanna challenged the telecommunications operators to address these concerns and improve service delivery, emphasising the need for reliable networks and affordable communication services for Ugandans.
The meeting also raised concerns about the commissioning of mobile money dealers, with a call for operators to ensure that dealers are properly onboarded and accessible to customers.
The meeting was attended by Head Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Airtel, UCC was represented by Manager Legal and Compliance, meanwhile MTN Uganda was represented by Manager Brand and Communications.
In response, the operators committed to submitting a detailed report addressing the issues raised within the next two weeks. The report is expected to outline the challenges identified and propose measures to improve service delivery.
The meeting further agreed that other smaller telecommunications operators would be invited to participate in subsequent engagements to ensure that the concerns of all industry players are considered.
The engagement underscores the government’s commitment to protecting consumers, promoting fair competition and ensuring that telecommunications services in Uganda are reliable, accessible and affordable.
