The House of Representatives says increase in subscription by Multichoice/DStv is unacceptable, insisting on Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO).
Chairman, House of Representatives Ad Hoc committee investigating the non implementation of PAYGO Tariff, Hon. Unyime Idem, said this on Monday in Abuja.
He said given the current situation as occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic, Multichoice/DStv should suspend the increase in the monthly subscription.
Idem said the House is of the opinion that MultiChoice, the owners of DStv is 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 are more than 2.5 per cent increment, unlike many other companies, local and international that are 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 is possible.
He added that it has started in Nigeria with other providers, adding that there is a new approved NBC regulation agreed to by all stakeholders.
The chairman said the committee is committed to the full implementation of the PAYGO, Pa- Per View-and-Pay-Per-Watch model in Nigeria.
The Deputy Chairman of the committee, John Dyegh, said the House is in possession of document from the Minister of Information showing that the PAYG is possible.
According to him, we also have document from engineers showing that the PAYGO is possible.
He said anything contrary to that would be unacceptable by the committee, adding that the committee should not be pushed to a situation where it would impose the constitution.
He, however, moved a motion that the committee should invite the Minister of Information and other stakeholders with full knowledge of how PAYGO could be achieved.
A member of the committee, Hon. Adedeji Babajide, called for sincerity on the part of MultiChoice, adding that Nigerians are currently going through a lot of pains as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
“Look at the hardship Nigerians are going through and you have done two increments within few months; this is not the right time for you to increase subscription,” he said.
He queried why MultiChoice/DStv is not patronising NICOMSAT, adding that MultiChoice has not also obeyed the Nigeria Broadcasting Code (NBC) holistically.
The Managing Director, MultiChoice/DStv, Mr. John Ugbe, said the company will not be able to implement the policy of PAYG.
According to him, Pay Per View (PPV) is most times confused for PAYGO model deployed by mobile telecommunication companies.
“The PAYGO model as offered in the telecommunication business is a metered service where consumers are billed only for the service they consume and not for a fixed period.
“Telecommunications companies are able to offer PAYGO services because they operate a two-way communication system in which they are able to determine when a consumer is connected.
“The service consumed and duration of time the consumer is connected,” he said.
He, however, said that satellite broadcasters could not offer pay-tv services in the manner offered by mobile telecommunication operators.
According to him, satellite broadcasting is linear, not a two-way system, as satellite broadcasters are unable to determine when a subscriber is connected and/or watching which channel is being viewed.