Mobile phone cards retailers demand higher commissions

Retailers and dealers of mobile phone recharge cards in the country are demanding higher commissions, a statement in Accra said on Wednesday.

The statement issued by the Association of Independent Mobile Phone and Credit Dealers (ASIMODE) and signed by its National President, Nii Adjetey Sowah, said the low commission rate of four per cent given across board by the networks was not enough.

“ASIMODE would want the networks to increase the present commission rate from four per cent to 10 per cent,” it said.

It noted that recharge card retailers had, for the past decade, been partners and co-owners of the mobile telecom industry, but are not benefiting enough from the boom and huge financial gains in the industry even though they brought in the bulk of the revenue.

It said there was no doubt that the recharge cards retailers’ contributions had resulted in huge gains the industry had chalked over the years to make mobile telecom one the fastest growing sectors of the economy.

“In spite of our contribution and the fact that we live precariously, selling in the middle of high streets and at street corners to make the industry move, most of our members remain very poor,” the statement said.

The statement called on the network operators to exercise a sense of fairness and equity towards all stakeholders to ensure real and lasting changes in the lives of members.

“The network operators must remember that the gains of the industry are not for them alone and must therefore respect the rights of the recharge card retailers, who bring in the bulk of the revenue.”

The statement said ASIMODE wanted a statutory regulation to protect the consumer and retailer, and to eliminate all uncompetitive practices within the industry.

Source: GNA