By Jariatu S. Bangura
Parliament has formed a six-member committee to investigate allegations of unfair charges and extortion by Africell and Orange mobile companies, following complaints of high costs and discrepancies in service.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament,Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh explained that Parliament had contracted both companies for internal connectivity, but Africell charged Le17 while Orange initially charged Le50 for the same service. After negotiations, Orange reduced its rate to Le34, still double Africell’s price.
Hon. Tawa expressed concern about the companies’ ongoing practices, which he described as unfair to citizens. He noted that, although Orange recently announced a slight reduction in tariffs, these adjustments fail to match the value of service provided to consumers. He urged the committee to investigate those issues thoroughly.
He also highlighted other instances of potential overcharging, such as Orange’s reduction of its MiFi bundle from Le75 weekly for 3.5 Mbps to Le70 for a reduced speed of 2.5 Mbps, indicating a potential unfair adjustment. The committee is tasked with examining these practices and recommending further action
