The Government of President Julius Maada Bio has successfully negotiated a win-win package for mobile phone users and operators in Sierra Leone. Mobile phone companies have been agitating for an increase of 120% on billing of customers, but the Government had held on to their demands.
After successfully consulting with the mobile phone companies, there will be no 120% increase in tariffs. The inevitable increase will be marginal and way below what the companies wanted. Voice call billing would only be slight, whilst data would be almost negligible. The slight increment would still put Sierra Leone as the 4th cheapest tariffs in the West Africa sub-region, thereby making the country’s tariffs competitive.
Meanwhile, through the efficient and charismatic Minister of Communications, Technology and Innovation Ms. Salima Bah and the mercurial Executive Director of National Telecommunications Authority (NaTCA) Amara Pedou Brewah, the mobile phone companies will resume bonuses and promotions, after more than two years. For a start, free calls at midnight will resume and the companies will announce the date of resumption of these bonuses and promotions.
Another major breakthrough has been made in the Telecommunications sector with the introduction of 5G services in the country. President Bio and his able Minister of Communications and NaTCA Director General have succeeded in getting the MNOs to buy into improvement of services, and the mobile companies have invested heavily in the purchase of 5G switches. This will significantly bolster quality of services and enhance business transactions as well as students’ research works on the internet.
