Uganda consumers get ICT lobby

Dissatisfied ICT consumers in Uganda can now seek redress from the Uganda ICT Consumer Protection Association, in case of bad service, substandard products and general unscrupulous practices by data and voice service providers.

The new lobby, which starts work later this month, will particularly address the issue of slow data speeds delivered by Internet service providers that do not correspond with the bandwidth paid for; overpricing of services and substandard mobile handsets sold at rock bottom prices through product promotions.

The lobby’s agenda is to ensure that consumers get value for money; act as an arbiter between consumers and service providers; be a platform for redress; be a proactive independent body that will set standards for service providers and also create an avenue for educating the public on consumer rights.

“We want to bring the different players together for the good of the industry. Consumers will get to understand what the suppliers are giving them and the service providers will in turn realise that they cannot get away with poor service,” said James Wire Lunghabo, chairman of the lobby and an IT expert at Linux Solutions.

Mr Lunghabo said the lobby is not out to antagonise service providers but to hold them accountable and make them understand that “quality of service in the ICT sector is a right, not a favour.”

The chairman of the Parliamentary ICT Committee Edward Baliddawa, said, “The lobby is a good initiative that will create checks and balances within the industry. It will go a long way in helping to educate consumers, most of whom do not have the capacity to verify quality of services offered.”

The lobby group will complement the regulator Uganda Communications Commission, which is mandated by the government to do this work.

But critics say that though the Commission is mandated to handle consumer complaints, the fact that it is funded by the service providers, it cannot not be a fair arbiter.

The Commission is funded through licence fees paid by ICT operators, the government, a 1 per cent levy from operators’ revenue under the Rural Communication Development Fund and other fees, which the lobby group says should be accounted for by an independent body. The Commission runs a consumer relations desk that has been accused of being docile.

Commission officials said the new lobby is free to ask it for funding as funds for such activities are available, given that the issue of consumer protection is too big to be handled by a single entity.

“We welcome every initiative and will be glad to have civil society and public collaboration. The issue of consumer protection calls for concerted efforts by all stakeholders in the sector,” said Fred Otunnu, the Director of Communications and Consumer Affairs at the UCC.

However, some industry players have already expressed reservations, saying that if the lobby is to be funded by the Commission, it will be controlled by the government and so lose its independence.

“Funding should come from organisations that are interested in the work of an independent lobby group. We should insist on credibility. My concern is that once the lobby gets into bed with the Commission, it will be compromised,” said Johnson Nkuuhe, a Millennium Development Goals support advisor.

Paul Asiimwe, a lawyer and a founding member of the lobby, said it would prefer not to operate under the government’s wing. He said the lobby will be Online-based with a hotline or toll free line.

The lobby has already registered a domain name and is building a website that will be used for educating the public and for lodging complaints.