The Deputy Speaker of the Sixth Parliament Hon Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, of the Western Area Urban, has summoned Orange Sierra Leone (OSL) for an explanation of why the network overcharges customers amid poor quality service.
The call to order and exposure was last Thursday 31 November, 2024 made by the Chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC), with concerns over OSL’s poor service delivery, in the Well of Parliament by the PAC Chairman during the approval of nine presidential nominees for diverse positions in Ministries Departments and Agencies.
Despite the high tariffs, OSL customers continue to wrestle with deplorable and inadequate network service delivery across Sierra Leone, with no exemption of Parliament Building.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, who also doubles as the PAC Chairman, Hon. Conteh informed that Orange Sierra Leone tariffs are twice than Africell Sierra Leone. He thus summoned the management of Orange Sierra Leone for explanations about the alarming differential tariffs.
He said that both Africell and Orange SL provide the House of Parliament with internet service. Africell SL, he said charges NLe17.5 with connectivity to staffers and MPs at no cost.
For Orange SL, Hon Conteh said they were initially charged NLe50 for the same service whiles Africell is providing for them. Hon Conteh added that after they negotiated with Orange Sierra Leone and they agreed on NLe34; thrice the cost offered them by Africell.
That promoted lawmaker to setup a special committee to look into invite Orange Sierra Leone to give a better explanation about the differential prices.
A Six Man Committee to investigate the cause of OSL alarming rates of tariffs. The committee comprise the Deputy Leader of Government Business, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Communications, a Paramount Chief Member of Parliament, Leader of the Opposition and a female MP.
It could be recalled that the National Communications Authority (NatCA) on Monday 21 October, 2024, gave a seven days ultimatum mobile network operators to resolve the ongoing issues with poor quality service.
Orange Sierra Leone, customers have been complaining about drop calls and poor internet services.
