Vodacom Tanzania Blames US DOllar Peg for High Radio Spectrum Fees

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­Vodacom's Tanzanian subsidiary has criticized the regulator for insisting on charging for radio spectrum access in US Dollars instead of the local currency.

Vodacom Tanzania Managing Director Rene Meza said that as radio spectrum was a natural resource, there was no reason why it should be charged for in anything other than the local currency, adding that the currency issue is one of the reasons forcing up the cost of services in the country.

The Tanzanian Shilling has fallen from an average of TZS0.00075 to the US$1 in 2010 when the dollar policy was set by the regulator, to an average of around TZS0.00065 in 2012 - a drop of around 15%.

He also said that the country levies some of the highest taxes on the telecoms industry in the region, although the regulator, the TCRA disputes this.

The regulator also complained about companies expressing complaints in public rather than dealing with them privately.

On the web: Tanzania Daily News

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Tags: [vodacom]  [radio spectrum]  [tcra]  [Tanzania

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