Why Nigeria is excluded from 37% subscription price cuts-DStv
Ladesope Ladelokun
Cable television services provider, DStv, effects price cuts of up to 37 per cent in some African countries starting from September 1, 2019, but Nigeria is not on the list of the beneficiaries.
With Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique among the fortunate countries to enjoy the price cuts, it is uncertain when Nigeria will join the league of the lucky countries.
Explaining the rationale behind the company’s decision, Caroline Oghuma, DStv’s spokesperson in Nigeria told The Daily Times that local dynamics like inflation, content costs, foreign exchange rates, local taxes and overheads required for each business is taken into consideration when reviewing the company’s packages and prices.
“MultiChoice Africa is decreasing prices of DStv service in various East African countries on 1 September. At MultiChoice Nigeria, we are not making any price changes to DStv and GOtv subscription prices in Nigeria.
“When reviewing our packages and prices in each country, we take into account local dynamics such as inflation, content costs, foreign exchange rates, local taxes and overheads required for each business. Despite the price reductions in other countries, the price of DStv in Nigeria still compares favourably with the pricing in other African countries”, she said.
Meanwhile, DStv and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) are at loggerheads over what CPC calls the failure of DStv to reverse its subscription rates despite an order by a court of competent jurisdiction.
In an interview granted to The Daily Times by the Director-General of CPC, Barr. Tunde Irukera had accused DStv of failing to comply with a court order to reverse its subscription rates.
“We went to court. The court gave an order. They didn’t comply with that order. The question you should ask is that if you have always cooperated with the CPC, how come CPC took you to court? And when the court ordered that you should reverse the hike, why did you not obey the order of the court?” he queried.
