South Africa’s mobile phone giant MTN has asked Nigeria for a plan to allow it to spread the payment of a $5.2 billion (N1.04trillion) fine just days before the Monday deadline, a source at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) told Reuters.
The source added that the government was considering the request, made at a meeting on Friday between MTN and high-level government officials, and that the decision would be disclosed on Monday.
The NCC slapped the fine on MTN last month for its failure to cut off 5.2 million unregistered SIM cards.
MTN spokesman Chris Maroleng said: “We are waiting for authorities to come back to us”.
Nigeria has been pushing telecommunication operators to verify the identity of subscribers due to concerns that unregistered SIM cards are being used for criminal activity or even by Boko Haram militants waging an Islamist insurgency in the northeast.
“At the meeting, MTN pleaded passionately for staggered payment since the option of reduction of the fine had been ruled out,” the NCC source said.
However, a source familiar with the discussions said that an eleventh hour reduction of the fine could still be possible.
“Until the final announcement is made, there may be some room for manoeuvre,” the source familiar with the situation said.
Spokesmen for Nigeria’s presidency and communications ministry declined to comment.
The fine – if fully enforced – amounts to more than the past two years’ profit for MTN in its biggest market. The new communications minister, Adebayo Shittu, told Reuters on Friday the government did not want MTN “to die” or shut down operations as a result of the penalty.
The fine is based on $1,000 per outstanding unregistered SIM card, as stipulated by Nigerian telecommunications laws.
Nigeria accounts for 37 per cent of revenues for MTN, which operates in more than 20 countries in Africa and the Middle East. Since the announcement of the fine, its shares have lost nearly 25 percent of their value. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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I don't feel for them. The rule is the rule, you either obey it or u become a criminal. Moreover, I hate South Africans. Pay your fine mofos!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the impacts on staff and employees who are Nigerians? How many times have the Nigerian regulatory bodies themselves kept the promises on their mandates to the Nigerian populace? How many failed government policies, how many election fraud have been punished with fines, how many looters have been convicted and jailed? If you say you hate south Africans, how many efficient business has your own country men floated? I understand punishment must me mete to defaulters but what baffles me is the pretence of Nigerians. Your government is trying to woo investors into the country where there is epileptic power supply, high rate of insecurity, poor infrastructure and lots more, then foreigners come to invest their monies and then you fine them with huges taxes and all that. You must ask your self who is deceiving who.
ReplyDeleteMTN is a signatory to the treaty. They are fully aware of what the penalty is for retaining unregistered lines so why the cry? Please go and pay!
DeleteNow, MTN will appreciate the Nigerian market and the profit it accrues. We are indispensable to your existence. Take it or leave it!
ReplyDeleteHahahahahaaha@Emilia. I concur with you; they should or better still must pay the fine. they should dig their hand deeper into their pockets to pay the fine slapped at them from the huge amount of money they have extorted/exploited from Nigerians. Thieves...... just reminiscing back on how some people bought MTN line for 30k, 25k etc and how a recharge card of 1500k/750 elapses under seven days. ndi ori.......
ReplyDeleteI don't pity them one second, they exploited us enough and they even have got to kill and molest our citizens without apologies. If you load airtime they will take it,so many things to shut them down for.
ReplyDeleteI will advice the Govt. to agree with the MTN for the staggered payment which should not be more than 5 years and they should compulsory it that no Nigerian should be sacked from the company,
ReplyDeleteLet's pity them after all they are employing Nigerians , however if they have contravened any laws let them pay because if it was in South Africa and the roles were reversed they will collect.
ReplyDelete@ Odewunmi it is the responsibility of any company to abide by rules that are laid down so I don't believe it's sending any wrong signal. If they did not commit the offense they would not be fined.
Would say that you will refuse to live up to what is expected of you as an individual because another person is not living up to their responsibility? Please let's call a spade a spade! Let them pay up!
I can only imagine the rate with which mtn would begin to steal from subscribers after they pay the fine. You'll load a N400 card and it would disappear into thin air, and they would say it's a system glitch. The call tariffs would be subtly be increased without subscribers noticing it easily. They would come up with more outrageous promotions. They once said you can win an aeroplane simply by loading a N200 card in your phone. This time around, it would be:"Load a N100 mtn card and stand a chance to win a country!"
ReplyDeleteCommon pay the fine jare; bloody thieves! Mofos (according to Emilia lol)
The next I'm anxiously waiting for is a fine on DSTv. That's a south african company too! I wonder why south african companies like mtn and dstv would come to nigeria to oppress nigerians and nigerians would have no say. I hope they give dstv a 2 trillion naira fine.