Telcos urged to cut tariffs and grow SADC economies

September 22nd 2019

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Telecommunications companies in the Southern
African region have been urged to collaborate in order to reduce the
roaming between the countries.

The call was made in Mauritius last Friday as the Southern African
Telecommunications Association (SATA) launched the SATA Connect, a
digital sharing and collaboration platform for member organisations.

Sherry Singh, who is SATA chairman, said such joint efforts by
telecommunications operators would drive down tariffs to the benefit of
travelers and business executives in the region and ultimately
contribute to economic growth.

Singh, who is also the Mauritius Telecom chief executive officer, said
these alliances would in addition to slashing prices of voice and data,
ease ways of doing businesses in the region.

“One operator cannot afford to go it alone. We need to collaborate. As
chairman of SATA, I would like to invite other Southern African
Development Community member states to come in these agreements,” he
said.

The executive lamented that out of the 15 SADC member states, two had
still not signed the SATA Connect agreement.

While he could not mention the two countries yet to adopt the initiative
he raised concern that such individualistic approaches were making it
difficult to enable the ease of doing business in the region.

He said lack of a common database, non-engagement and lack of
collaboration were some of the challenges associated with telcos that
did not sign for SATA Connect.

Singh said digital sharing platforms were important in unlocking various
opportunities such as reducing tariffs, employment creation as well as
enabling real-time business through collaboration.

“There is no excuse not to collaborate. Similarly, there is no excuse
not to contribute,” he said.

Singh said Mauritius was committed to SATA Connect.

“We are also taking our SADC region seriously in this digital
collaboration platform,” he said.

SATA’s mission is to bridge the digital divide, particularly within the
SADC bloc.

It encourages investment in infrastructure and services as well as
knowledge sharing.

Among dignitaries present at the launch of SATA Connect were Mauritian
Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Yogida Swamynaden,
and SATA Secretary General, Jacob Munodawafa.

From Savious Kwinika in Port Louis, Mauritius

Source The Southern Times

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