By Twink Jones Gadama
Airtel Malawi has announced a revision of its pricing structure for Chezani, MoFaya, WhatsApp bundles, and voice Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) rates, effective December 20, 2024.
The changes aim to ensure the sustainability of the company’s services while providing better value to customers.
However, the adjustment has sparked controversy, with many attributing it to the country’s poor economic policy under President Lazarus Chakwera.
According to Airtel, the revised rates reflect updated pricing to better serve customers while ensuring the sustainability of their services.
The company has encouraged customers to review the revised bundles and voice PAYG rates to make informed decisions about their usage.
The revised rates include changes to MoFaya bundles, WhatsApp bundles, Office internet data bundles, and voice PAYG rates. The MoFaya Daily bundle, for example, will now cost K250 for 90MB, up from K200 for 80MB.
The MoFaya Weekly bundle will cost K1500 for 2.6GB, up from K1500 for 2.5GB.
The WhatsApp bundles have also seen an increase in pricing, with the PaNet WhatsApp bundle costing K1000 for 500MB, up from K200 for 60MB.
The Office internet data bundles have also been revised, with the Office Lite bundle costing K50000 for 150GB, up from K50000 for 120GB.
The voice PAYG rates have also been adjusted, with the flat rate increasing to 60/minute from 32/minute. The Airtel Zone Baseline rate has increased to 120/minute from 103/minute.
The revision has sparked widespread criticism, with many attributing it to the country’s poor economic policy under President Lazarus Chakwera.
The government’s economic policies have been criticized for failing to stimulate economic growth, leading to high inflation and a decline in the value of the Malawi Kwacha.
“The revision of Airtel’s rates is a clear indication of the country’s economic woes,” said economist, Dr. Jessie Kabwila. “The government’s economic policies have failed to stimulate economic growth, leading to high inflation and a decline in the value of the Malawi Kwacha.
This has had a ripple effect on the telecommunications sector, leading to the revision of rates.”
The revision has also sparked concerns about the impact on low-income earners, who rely heavily on mobile phone services for communication and other essential services.
“The revision of Airtel’s rates will have a devastating impact on low-income earners,” said human rights activist, Billy Banda. “Many of them rely heavily on mobile phone services for communication and other essential services.
The increased rates will make it difficult for them to access these services, exacerbating their already vulnerable situation.”
Airtel has defended the revision, saying it is necessary to ensure the sustainability of its services.
The company has encouraged customers to review the revised bundles and voice PAYG rates to make informed decisions about their usage.
“We understand the impact of the revision on our customers, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused,” said Airtel’s spokesperson. “However, we must ensure the sustainability of our services, and the revised rates will help us achieve this goal.”
As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the revision of Airtel’s rates has sparked controversy, with many attributing it to the country’s poor economic policy under President Lazarus Chakwera.
The government must take responsibility for the economic woes that have led to the revision of rates, and work towards stimulating economic growth to alleviate the suffering of Malawians.
