TNM, Airtel to pay back Malawians

The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has directed Airtel Malawi Plc and Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) Plc to compensate customers after the two mobile operators failed to comply with legal requirements when implementing recently approved tariff adjustments.

In a public statement, MACRA said the operators introduced the revised tariffs without observing Section 76 of the Communications Act, 2016, which requires licensed operators to publish approved tariff changes in at least two daily newspapers seven days before the new prices take effect.The regulatory said the seven-day notice period is intended to promote transparency, give consumers adequate notice of price changes, and allow them to make informed decisions before revised tariffs are implemented.Following MACRA’s intervention, Airtel Malawi and TNM will compensate customers who were affected during the mandatory seven-day notice period. The compensation is meant to restore customers to the position they would have been in had the legal notice requirement been followed.