Safaricom To Increase Call, Data And SMS Charges As From Midnight

Safaricom has announced that it will increase voice calls, SMS and data tariffs as from midnight in line with the Finance Act 2018.

In the revised tariffs, voice calls and data charges will increase by 30 cents while SMS charges will go up by 10 cents.

“Therefore, as a result of the increased taxes passed in the Finance Act 2018, we wish to notify our customers that from midnight tonight, the 18th October 2018, our headline price for voice calls and data will increase by 30 cents and SMS by 10 cents,” Collymore said in a statement.

After the Finance Bill 2018 was passed by parliament and assented into law by the President, tax on mobile calls and data rose to 15 per cent from the previous 10 per cent.

The government said that the money that will be collected from the increment will be used to finance the Universal Health Care programme.

Read: Zuku Owners, Wananchi Group To Exit Kenyan Market Over Tax Tussle With KRA

However, Safaricom becomes the first telco to implement the change, despite being the most expensive service provider.

Safaricom has also been the first to implement the mobile money transfer charges, increasing the rates by between Ksh1 and Ksh3.

A recent survey by the Communication Authority showed that Safaricom has lost its market grip by about 10 per cent in one year.

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