Source: Parly to probe telecoms complaints – herald
Nyore Madzianike-Senior Reporter
PARLIAMENT is set to probe telecommunication service providers following a surge in complaints from consumers over service quality, connectivity challenges and pricing concerns.
The development was announced after a joint sitting of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Industry and Commerce, and ICT, Postal and Courier Services yesterday.
Zaka East legislator Cde Clemence Chiduwa said Parliament was preparing a structured inquiry into the concerns raised by consumers.
POTRAZ director-general Dr Gift Machengete appeared before the joint committee and gave oral evidence alongside representatives from the Consumer Protection Commission and the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe.
Said MP Chiduwa: “We deliberated on issues that deal specifically with the fundamental rights of consumers when it comes to the consumption of mobile network operators’ products.
“We have received an array of complaints from the consumers.
“We received oral evidence from the Consumer Protection Commission, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe and POTRAZ.
“We received the oral evidence, but in terms of our way forward, we are going to have a workshop that is going to be jointly organised by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe and the Consumer Protection Commission, where we are going to understand the issues on the fundamental rights of consumers deeper.”
Dr Machengete told the committee that operators are legally required to notify both the regulator and consumers when service disruptions occur, and to provide remedial action plans.
“So, it’s not that they notify us only, but they also have to notify consumers of service challenges that they will be facing.
“Then they have to submit to the regulator remedial action plans and implement corrective measures within the prescribed period,” he said.
Dr Machengete said enforcement action is taken where operators fail to comply or provide satisfactory justification for service breaches.
He added that all major network operators have, at various points, been penalised for breaching quality-of-service standards.
“However, we have to ask them to give us what their problems will be.
“So, they also indicate challenges that they face and the major challenge that has been put forward by operators is to do with power supply.”
Dr Machengete said POTRAZ is upgrading its quality-of-service monitoring systems to accommodate emerging technologies, including 5G networks.
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