By Aminata Kuyateh
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority recently held a press conference at its headquarters along Kairaba Avenue to clarify the temporary price floor introduced a few months ago and announced final regulatory determinations for the telecommunications sector.
The engagement, attended by senior management of the Authority and members of the media, was aimed to address concerns that emerged following the introduction of the price floor, while outlining the framework guiding its implementation and eventual transition to cost-based regulation.
The Authority said the in-person briefing was necessary due to the technical nature of the subject and to allow structured interaction with journalists.
Speaking during the briefing, PURA Director General Njogou L. Bah said the temporary price floor was introduced during a period of market distortion marked by aggressive tariff undercutting that threatened service quality, investment, and consumer welfare.
He stressed that the measure was intended as a stabilisation tool and not a permanent pricing regime.
“This intervention was lawful, proportionate, and firmly grounded in PURA’s statutory mandate, and it was never intended to replace cost-based regulation,” Bah said.
He explained that the authority slowed the regulatory process to allow an independent cost-based study by consultants marpij, using verified operator data and internationally accepted methodologies. The findings, he added, were validated through consultations with operators, consumer groups, and other stakeholders before final decisions were taken.
Based on the study, PURA announced a shift to cost-based pricing, barring operators from charging tariffs below their actual cost of operation. A ceiling price of D75 per GB was set for mobile data, down from prices that reached up to D130 per GB before the review. On-net voice calls were capped at D2.40 per minute, while off-net call pricing will now be determined by adding the on-net price to the interconnection rate.
The authority also set the interconnection termination rate at D0.40 , effective January 1, 2026, with a planned annual reduction of D0.10 leading to zero by 2030. For the first time, unused data will roll over when consumers resubscribe within 30 days, a move PURA said responds directly to public complaints over data expiry.
Other measures include a ceiling of D0.70 bututs per USSD channel and a bill-and-keep framework for SMS termination.
DG Bah said the decisions were informed by benchmarking across several West African countries, and the authority conducted structured consultations held in October and November 2025.
The authority maintained that compliance will be assessed strictly against cost and data, adding that the final determinations are intended to protect consumers, promote fair competition, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the telecommunications sector.
