Framework to govern suspended promos from Zimbabwe’s operators almost done – POTRAZ

POTRAZ chairman Ozias Bvute addresses a Parliamentary Committee

POTRAZ, Zimbabwe’s telecommunications regulator has been working on a framework that will govern how various promotions from the country’s mobile network operators are run and now the framework is almost complete.

This information was shared by the Chairman of POTRAZ, Ozias Bvute in a hearing with the Parliamentary Committee on ICT. Ozias Bvute also highlighted how some of the promos weren’t being run responsibly anymore.

In August 2016 a number of promotions from the country’s 3 mobile network operators (MNOs) were suspended under unclear circumstances. Some promos like the Econet 7X promo, Kwese TV’s zero rated bundles, NetOne’s 48-hour data and SMS combo and Telecel’s Mega Bonus Promotion were abruptly removed from the market.

The move was widely criticised by mobile subscribers who relied on such promotions to stretch the value of the money spent on communications.

At the time POTRAZ pointed out that it hadn’t terminated any promotions but had only chosen not to renew them. Econet Wireless later alleged that the termination had been one of the government’s responses to rising concerns of politically motivated social media abuse.

The reintroduction of these promos has been a point of interest for mobile networks which rely on such value-added schemes to boost their subscribers’ engagement with their products.

While no specific date for the adoption of the framework was shared by Bvute, the document, which according to POTRAZ was under development since 2016, is expected to expedite the relaunch of promos and give subscribers some form of relief from high tariffs on voice and mobile data.