Rep. Unyime Idem, Chairman, House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the non-implementation of PAYGO Tariff said this on Monday in Abuja. He said that given the current situation as occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic, Multichoice/DSTV should suspend the increase in the monthly subscription. Idem said that the house was of the opinion that MultiChoice, the owners of DSTV was not sensitive to the plight of Nigerians for increasing tariff of their various bouquets and anchoring that on VAT increment from five per cent to 7.5 per cent.
He added that most DSTV bouquet price tariff was more than 2.5 per cent increment, unlike many other companies, local and international that were providing palliative to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Acting Director-General of Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC), confirmed to the committee that PAYGO model was possible. He added that it had started in Nigeria with other providers, adding that there was a new approved NBC agreed to by all stakeholders.
