Nigerians kick as Multichoice hikes tariff twice in three months

More Nigerian subscribers have expressed their readiness to boycott digital satellite services offered by Multichoice, owners of DStv and GoTV.

The resolve follows the South African firm’s intention to raise tariff again from September 1.

The second within a space of three months comes amid a subsisting order of the House of Representatives seeking a stay of action on the earlier hike.

MultiChoice, had at the weekend, sent messages of an impending increase, effective next month.

One of the texts read: “Dear Customer, please be advised of a price adjustment on your DStv Premium package from September 1. Your new monthly subscription will be N18,400.”

In May, the company informed its teeming subscribers of the take-off of a new tariff from June 1. The firm had reviewed upward the price of Premium package from ₦15,800 to ₦16,200.

Another SMS read: “Dear Customer, please be advised of a price adjustment on your DStv Compact Plus package from September 1. Your new monthly subscription will be N12,400.” The new move is against the ₦10,925 introduced three months ago.

Compact subscribers are to part with N7,900 up from N6,975.

Checks showed that the South African conglomerate increased the package-by-package tariffs by 13.6 per cent, 13.3 per cent and 9.8 per cent.

Prior to the earlier hike, the management had blamed the new price regime on Federal Government’s 2.5 per cent increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) from five to 7.5 per cent.

MultiChoice has, however, not provided any reason or justification for the proposed increase.

Customers expressed shock and bitterness over the decision, describing the firm as ‘heartless.

“What is the meaning of this? It was June they effected a tariff hike, three months after, another one. This is wicked and heartless on the part of Multichoice,” said Mustapha Bello, a Lagos-based subscriber .

He urged Nigerians to part ways with the operator.

Another user, Edwin Madunagu, said: “I don’t think the Federal Government or the agency protecting customer affairs exists anymore in Nigeria. How can you increase tariff exorbitantly within three months?”

Madunagu, like Bello, called on Nigerians to resist the new hike by boycotting the services completely.

On Twitter, Odubayo Nathaniel with the handle@natoodus, submitted: “If you got the same message I got from @DStvNg, please do not keep quiet. Nigeria is their biggest market, and yet South Africa enjoys.

“DStv is using bribe as a means to kill other competitors in the industry, so they can have a monopoly market. It’s like they want to go back to where they came from.

“Some people in government raised the issue of the costly price for DStv bouquet, now no one is talking. Price is up again. Please we need #dstvpayperview.”

Another tweet @ChocBerry, replying Nathaniel, stated: “The price increase is all over Africa.”

Meanwhile, MultiChoice Nigeria has said it made direct and indirect contributions to the economy of the most populous nation to the tune of N634.6 billion between 2015 and 2019.

In a report entitled ‘MultiChoice: Nigeria’s Socio-Economic Value’, which was published in collaboration with a consulting firm, Accenture Strategy, the firm claimed that it had enriched “millions of lives by providing entertaining video content and telling the most loved Nigerian stories.”  (The Guardian)