NASS rejects new DStv, GOtv tariff hike, mandates House Committee, NBC to investigate
Less than 24 hours after MultiChoice, owners of satellite Pay TV services including DStv and GOtv announced planned hike in its tariff regime, the House of Representatives has rejected the moved.
Accordingly, the lawmakers have mandated its committees on Information and culture, National Orientation, Ethics and Values to interface with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to conduct an inquiry into the planned introduction of five percent tariff hike by the Satellite Television Company.
The Joint Committee will also find out the reasons behind the failure of the company to adopt the “pay as you go”, option for Nigerian subscribers.
The Committee has eight weeks to conclude and report back to the Committee of the Whole.
The House had relied on 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 Package Option”, sponsored by Abbas Tajudeen to call for the investigations.
In his lead debate on the motion, he described as highly insensitive, the trend in which the prices of different bouquet Multichoice Satellite Television outlets have been increased in recent years he recalled that “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 recently, the company sent a notification of another price increase with effect from 1st 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.
The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker, Yusuff Lasun who presided over Wednesday’s plenary.
