The Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) has drafted a Code of Practice on Tariff Transparency in order to maintain transparency and protect consumers' interests. The authority has now put the paper before the public, seeking its opinion before it is formally issued.
TRA is inviting all telecom licensees and other interested parties, including consumers and the general public, to look at the consultation paper and give their comments and views within 30 days from the date of publication. The draft was published on the TRA website on August 21.
After analysing the responses, the document will under-go the process of legal vetting before it is finally issued in the beginning of 2012.
TRA felt there was a need to set up a code as increasing competition is leading to continuous product development efforts on the part of operators and service providers, resulting in new and different types of services being offered to consumers. "More tariff bundles and packages will appear, which will make it difficult for beneficiaries to compare them to others or even understand them," said a TRA official.
"In order to maintain a high level of transparency and ensure that consumers' interests are protected, the regulatory tools need to be reviewed and updated every now and then to be in line with market developments."
With customer satisfaction as one of the primary goals, TRA is looking to set up a minimum standard for provision of tariff information that will be accurate, up to date, simple and easily understood, easily accessible and comparable.
According to the draft code, the information must include a service description, prices (including any discount structures), service suspension and termination provisions (including any early termination charges), and service availability and eligibility requirements. 'Any additional or subscription charges, in addition to monthly rental or other subscription fees, should be clearly indicated and published along with the tariff details,' said the draft code.
The TRA official added that most of the practices are already in place as the authority takes the relevant transparency conditions into consideration when approving tariffs for licensees before the launch.
"Nonetheless, we felt that there is a need to issue these guidelines in one document to serve as a reference point for all operators and service providers. It is also expected to contribute towards raising the awareness of consumers."
On how seriously the authority takes the public consultations, the official said, "We give due consideration to all comments and contributions, and carry out an extensive analysis of responses. We incorporate suggestions that we consider appropriate. At the end of the process, we usually publish a position statement reflecting TRA's stand on the subject matter."
Objectives of the Code
• Enable the beneficiaries to understand the services.
• Assist beneficiaries to understand the charges they will have to pay for these services, including promotions and discount schemes.
• Inform beneficiaries of any terms and conditions which will apply to services, promotions or discounts which they subscribe to or use.
• Facilitate the comparison of prices and services and enable the beneficiary to reconcile billing of their usage against the published prices and services provided.
© Muscat Daily 2011
