National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMMS) has said that the current poor quality of service being experience by subscribers is largely attributed to overzealousness of some state governments that imposes arbitrary taxes on telcos and the shutdown of their towers for not paying those taxes.
Deolu Ogunbanjo, president, NATCOMMS, told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, that the action of the state governments has brought hardship on subscribers who are unable to complete calls.
The stand of NATCOMMS has brought unification on the primary cause of poor quality of service delivered by telecommunications operators by stakeholders in the ecosystem.
Ogunbanjo as a way forward, urged Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to reconstitute Telecom Industry Working Group (TIWG) which according to him assisted in addressing the problem through visits to those states where the problem was prevalence.
It would be recalled that Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, NCC, disclosed in Lagos recently that activities of some state governments’ agencies that impose taxes on operators and thereafter shutdown towers are impacting negatively on quality of service.
Also, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), had expressed concerned that the Amended Taxes & Levies Order, 2015 engendered the institution of multiplicity of taxes across different tiers of Government.
“The Amended Order failed to fix the taxable rate resulting in the imposition of arbitrary levies and charges at the state government levels. The industry is also burdened with enactment of laws at the state government levels to legitimate spurious levies and charges on our members which negates the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
“It is disturbing that the entire instrument has given the State Governments authorization to coerce and disrupt the operations of our members in order to compel the payment of sundry levies, charges and taxes.
“Rather than Amended Order addressing the issue of multiple taxation; it on the contrary increased the tax burden of our members and adversely impacted the ease of doing businesses in Nigeria,” he said.