The Federal Government has halted the decision of some telecommunication companies to increase the charges on the use Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, USSD, channels to access banking services.
Some network providers have, through text messages to subscribers, announced the decision.
One of the text announcing the decision reads: “Yello, as requested by your bank, from Oct 21, we will start charging you directly for USSD access to banking services. Please contact your bank for more info.”
“Yello, please, note that from Oct 21, we will charge N4 per 20 seconds for USSD access to banking services. Thank you,” another one reads.
The planned increase in charges is against the original one where customers are charged per session.
Different amount are charged with the highest being N20 per session, depending on the network used.
But in its reaction to the development, the Minister of Communications, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, in a statement issued by Uwa Suleiman, spokesperson of the ministry reads: “The attention of the federal ministry of communications has been drawn to the viral text message allegedly sent by the Mobile Network Operator MTN Nigeria and other Mobile Operators notifying subscribers of a four naira (N4:00) charge per 20 seconds on USSD access to banking services from the 21st of October 2019.
“The office of the Honourable Minister of Communications Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami FNCS, FBCS, FllM is unaware of this development and has hereby directed the sector regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) ensures the operator suspends such plans until the Honourable Minister is fully and properly briefed.”
