South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The government has attributed the recent increase in call and data tariffs across all telecom companies to the shortage of hard currency in the Bank of South Sudan (BOSS), which telecom companies rely on to operate smoothly in the country.
The Minister of Information, Telecommunication, and Postal Services, Michael Makuei, said that the Bank of South Sudan is currently unable to provide lump sum hard currency to telecom operators due to shortage, adding that BOSS and telecom operators reached an agreement to base tariffs on the official bank exchange rate rather than the black market rate.
“The current tariffs are calculated according to the Central Bank’s official rate. As the value of our currency strengthens, the call rates will naturally decrease. However, until then, tariffs will remain tied to the bank rate,” said Makuei while addressing the 8th Governors Forum on Wednesday in Juba.
He also noted that South Sudan’s call tariffs are the lowest in the region, adding that telecom companies charge 0.4 cents per minute.
“Before when our currency was strong, we did not feel it,” said Makuei.
He said that continuous depreciation of the SSP against the U.S dollar has made it impossible for telecom operators to lower call tariffs.
Makuei advised the public to limit phone usage if they find the costs burdensome.
“If you feel that you are being overcharged, you better refrain from using it (telephone). And also, this will also give us the opportunity to learn how to use telephones because there are people who use telephones for conversing for over one or three hours,” he disclosed.
In August MTN, Zain and Digitel Telecom companies announced the second phase of tariff adjustments in alignment with the latest exchange rate regulations set by the Bank of South Sudan and the National Communications Authority (NCA).
In a joint statement, the companies revealed that this adjustment will result in increased costs for airtime and internet data bundles, adding that this step will support continued investment in advanced technology, network reliability and enhance customer service.
“We recognize the importance of transparent communication and assure our customers that these adjustments are essential for maintaining and improving our services,” it said.
