Operation flight mode: Minette Libom defends telephone operators
The Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng says Cameroon has one of the most affordable telephone fares in Africa. The Minister was guest on the 8:30pm news on state media on Thursday May 4th where she reacted to the boycott of these mobile telephone operators recently launched by some celebrities in Cameroon due to poor services.
Minister Libom Li Likeng in her remarks on state media declared “I would like to say again here that Cameroon remains the country where telephone tarifs are really affordable. I don’t say they can’t be reduced again. Of course the prices can be reduced but it’s better to first of all look at where we came from.”
She traced the evolution of prices taking the example from the year 2020.
“In 2020, the average price of a gigabyte was above a thousand francs, we’ve had a fall of close to 93%. Today we can have 2 gigabytes at FCFA 1,000. As to what concerns calls, we are from an era where a minute cost FCFA 1,200, today it costs FCFA 5 because of competition,” added the Minister.
She also noted that the telecommunications sector is a sector that changes with time and costs are not decreed.
“Costs in the telecommunications sector are determined by investments made by the operators, and network coverage among others. There are many elements that are taken into account. We are working with the companies to reduce prices. We can’t just tell them to reduce prices like that, we must dialogue with them for that to happen.”
The Minister concluded her proposals by saying government has a responsibility of equipping these telephone companies with the necessary tools so that they can cover their expenses.
