The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has stated that it is seeking clarification from pay television firm MultiChoice Nigeria on the rise in subscription costs.
Mr Babatunde Irukera, the FCCPC’s Executive Vice Chairman, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.
Irukera stated that the purpose of the engagement was to determine if the company executed a change in terms and conditions in accordance with the Commission’s prescribed requirements.
According to him, our orders were broad and it will be important that compliance is prioritised.
“Although we cannot, and did not regulate price except in limited circumstances requiring presidential approval and gazetting.
“As such, our order to MultiChoice did not prevent them from pricing their services in a manner acceptable between them and their subscribers.
“We regulate price gouging. The nature of gouging is post-fact, meaning that when a price movement occurs, we can investigate to determine if it is excessive, exploitative, unrestored or manifestly unjust.
“Such is a very intricate investigation and the fact of the existence of any increase is not the entire evidence.
“There is a method to analyse the increase and other circumstances leading to it.
“As in the case of pharmacies, we are prosecuting for inordinate increases of certain products during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For now, the first check with MultiChoice is whether they implement, or intend to, a material change in terms and conditions (of which price is one) without the steps the Commission has mandated as conditions precedent,’’ he said.
Recalls that MultiChoice on Tuesday, announced the increase in DStv and GOtv subscription rates, blaming it on the rising cost of inflation and business operations.
The rates are Xtraview +PVR access fee formally N2,300, now N2,900, Business will now go for N2,669, Padi formally N1,850 will now be N2,150, Yanga formally N2,565 will now be N2,950, Confam formally N4,615 will now be N5,300.
Also, Compact formally N7,900 will now be N9,000, Compact Plus formally N12,400 will now be N14,250, while Premium which was N18,400 will now go for N21,000.
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