[kictanet] Communication Tariffs

[Alex Gakuru]

> --- Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>its in order to give CCK and the rest of the Mobile
>Sector players a pat on the back the tariffs have
>reduced considerably in the last months. there is
>increased competition due to Introduction of new
Value
>added Services, so far i guess CCK is doing fine 


[not quite so and beware of telcos' reinvigorated PR
campaigns and advertisement assault. Only comparative,
data based (NOT perception oriented) regulatory
intervention can ensure "fair play". Remember the
absence of war does not mean "prevailing peace and
harmony". Thank though the democratic space lending 
consumer complaints an ear. The more consumers
complain the less hilly and more flat the world gets.]


[EASTANDARD]
"Mobile telephone charges likely to fall again, PS
says"
By Tom Mogusu

[snip]

The Government has commissioned a study on mobile
telephone industry’s tariff and taxation levels in
what is hoped would trigger a decline in the cost of
calling.

Permanent Secretary for Information and Communication,
Dr Bitang’e Ndemo said this was response to public
demand that taxes on use of mobile telephones be
lowered.

He said Treasury is under pressure to lower tariff
levels for mobile calls.

"We are expecting more changes in this sector over the
coming year because Government will launch a taskforce
to investigate the costs of mobile calls."

"There is an expectation that the tariff levels will
drop further," he said. 

http://eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143970580&catid=14

[snip]
------------

[DAILY NATION]

Cutting edge

Story by Watchman
Publication Date: 6/27/2007

One report says Kenyans are becoming poorer. Another
says the economy is booming, and companies are
announcing profits in billions of shillings, notes
Morrison Muleri. But ironically, he says, the banks,
oil companies, Safaricom and others “serve a wide
spectrum of Kenyans, millions of whom survive on less
than Sh100 a day”. His biggest grouse is that Kenyan
firms charge more than what is paid for similar
services in wealthy America. He poses: “Is it morally
right to make huge profits from the poor who have no
choice?”

<http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?premiumid=0&category_id=22&newsid=101145>
---------

LETTERS

Safaricom can do more for the poor

Publication Date: 6/27/2007

Safaricom’s huge Sh17 billion profit for last year is
good news to the owners but ordinary subscribers have
nothing to smile about. 

The profit should have been ploughed back into the
economy for citizens to benefit. CEO Michael Joseph
should not boast of hefty profits when the firm is not
doing enough to uplift the lives of Kenyans.

Safaricom must come up with initiatives to help the
Government eradicate poverty and boost health and
education projects. It should launch programmes to
spur development.

Small reductions in call and SMS rates are not enough.


DENNIS ODHIAMBO, 
Kisumu.
<http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?premiumid=0&category_id=23&newsid=101148>




       
____________________________________________________________________________________Ready for the edge of your seat? 
Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. 
http://tv.yahoo.com/