By JAJAH COULIBALY –
THE price of airtime scratch-cards for mobile phone services have been illegally hiked by traders in some parts of Lusaka to gain profit.
The Zambia Information and Communication Authority (ZICTA) described, the price hike as illegal and criminal.
A check in trading places in Makeni’s Kavindele area found traders selling airtime scratch-cards at K12 instead of the usual K10. K5 airtime scratch-cards are now fetching K7, and the K1 card has been hiked to K1.50.
One of the traders talked to said the airtime they sold, benefited the companies and not the sellers, hence the decision to effect new prices.
He claimed that because there were only three network providers, the talk-time vendors made minimal profits to sustain their lives.
“Yes, we have increased because we have realised that we are not making any profit for ourselves but the mobile phone providers, so far so good, people are buying here, we do not need to get authority since they don’t feed our families,” they said.
However, ZICTA public relations manager Ngabo Nankonde said the hike in airtime prices was illegal and a criminal offence.
She said those involved in the illegal price hike would be arrested and prosecuted.
She encouraged members of the public to report such illegal activities to any nearest police station to curb theft and avoid the exploitation of members of the public.
