(Ecofin Agency) - Since 2019, Zimbabwean telecom operators have been allowed to increase their tariffs several times to meet the challenges of the local operating environment. The latest tariff adjustments date back to February and April 2023.

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has approved a new increase in tariffs for services provided by telecom companies. This new adjustment, effective this week, concerns only prices in Zimbabwean dollars (ZWL), while those in US dollars remain unchanged.

As a reminder, telecom operators have been allowed to increase their tariffs several times since 2019 to meet the challenges of the local operating environment. The latest tariff adjustments date back to February and April 2023. A first increase of 50% was implemented immediately after the measure was announced in February, while the second came into effect on April 1.

Price increases are authorized as part of the regulator's efforts to limit the impact of the local operating context on telecom operators' activities. These include hyperinflation, a weak local currency, a shortage of foreign currency, rising operating costs, increased vandalism of infrastructure, power cuts, and more.

In addition, POTRAZ recently submitted to the government a new pricing model based not only on the local currency but also on the US dollar. This measure should help to guarantee price stability in the national telecoms market.