An appeal to the UCC over consumer rights

An honest debate over consumer rights, the law and dangers of relying entirely on market forces to determine what is acceptable in an almost purely capitalist economic environment is overdue. It all stems from reports that private television service providers may be one breath away from increasing subscription fees again.
 One of these companies has raised rates twice in under a year. Why? Because they claim the cost of doing business has gone up. They say inflation is wreaking havoc on operations. Whether those excuses hold enough water is debatable.

 According to the Bank of Uganda, inflation has hovered around five percent over the last six months, well below the sub-Saharan Africa regional average of nine percent. In other sectors, businesses are absorbing the adverse effects of inflation on profit margins, keeping prices tolerable with an eye on better economic times ahead. But that is a debate for another day.
 What should exercise minds is why Ugandan consumers seem helpless. 

Regulation and consumer protection, which ironically are taken quite seriously in the capitalist West from where our local free market enthusiasts draw inspiration, seem like dirty words in Uganda. And yet we have laws designed to ensure fair pricing, quality products and services. We see this in the extortionate tuition fees charged in private schools where the government shamefully abandoned its duty to protect the people.

 For our purposes, a look at the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) mandate might help. As a regulator, UCC is supposed to mediate consumer-supplier relations in respect to bargaining power and information sharing.
 The commission has done some good, keeping a leash on data and voice charges so as to promote affordable ICT accessibility countrywide. It can do more elsewhere. One of the rights UCC must enforce is the customer’s right to basic communication services at reasonable prices. The UCC is also supposed to uphold consumer rights to quality services which match what you pay for, and as promised in a service agreement.  

Alas, there is a body of anecdotal evidence showing certain private TV service providers may be cutting corners. As subscription rates have gone up, the quality of programming has dipped.  As with most things, the devil is usually in the details. A closer look at how many times a particular programme is rebroadcast over a 24-hour period should, for instance, illuminate things.  

The UCC could also look at re-runs of old programmes. The eye-watering discovery would likely be that some companies are using re-runs and programme repeats as space-fillers – in real terms meaning they spend less on securing re-broadcast rights to make more money.
 While we do not advocate a Stalinist price-fixing solution, the UCC is legally bound to ensure customers are not taken advantage of.