Minister of Communications, Johnny Al-Qarm, affirmed that raising the tariffs for telecommunications and the Internet saved the telecommunications sector, and that the cost is still the lowest in the region.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Al-Qarm explained that the decision to raise the tariffs for communications and the Internet “save the sector, which was not able to continue as it is, with all the financial problems with suppliers and employees.”
He added: “With regard to the fixed phone, the cost has increased two and a half times, noting that there are packages at lower prices for low-income people and others at higher prices. As for the cell phone, the average bill for the bill became $7, noting that there is a package of $4.5.”
According to Al-Qarm, “Despite the increase in tariffs, the cost of telecommunications in Lebanon is still the lowest compared to other countries in the region. For example, the average rate in Jordan, which is similar to us in terms of per capita income and population, is $11.5, while we have $7.”
He pointed out that “the increase in the tariff will undoubtedly reflect positively on the sector, in terms of addressing a number of problems, but there are other problems that we encounter that are not related to the tariff, such as thefts that occur for cables, fuel oil and batteries, in addition to the legalization of generators that we often rely on.”
“I did not accept the transformation of the telecommunications sector into something similar to the electricity sector, in the end the sector is not on an isolated island, and it is automatically affected by the financial situation, and as citizens have reduced consumption of many goods and services, this must apply to telecommunications and the Internet,” Al Qurm stressed.
Source: Middle East