Reps pass bill to break monopoly of DSTV




A bill meant to make broadcasting more competitive in the country was passed through second reading in the House of Representatives Thursday.

The bill sponsored by Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnena Elendu- Ukeje is titled ” a bill for an Act to amend the National Broadcast Commission Act cap N11, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2014, to provide for competition in Nigeria, promote efficiency and Expand opportunities for Nigerians’ participation in world markets while at the same time recognize the role of foreign completion in Nigeria, and for other matters related thereto.”

Elendu- Ukeje while speaking on the bill said it is meant to strengthen the National Broadcast Commission as an independent regulator.

According to her, the bill will also create room for competition through deregulation, liberalization, privatization, ensuring free market operation and also enforce penalty(s) to parties that go against the provisions of the law.

The piece of legislation, she said, will prevent price or rate fixing, price discrimination , restrictive exclusive content, abuse of dominant market position, and unconstitutional boycotting.



The proposed law, she said, is a remedy to the obvious lacuna in the NBC Act and strengthens the NBC as Nigeria has no set of codified laws that speaks to the subject matter.

Her words: “this is one sector that does not suffer from customer ignorance as this sector has been subject to motions/ petitions on the floor of parliament and litigations in the court of law.

“Justice Chukwujeku Aneke of the a federal High Court had on May 28th 2015 dismissed a suit against DSTV over increase in subscription fees as Nigeria is yet to have a codified set of rules promoting competition in that market.

“Competition laws exist under different names in different climes. From antitrust law in the US to anti monopoly laws in China and Russia, and Trade law in the UK and Australia, the underlying factor for these laws us consumer protection.”

According to her, Fourth Schedule, Section 39(1) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria states expressly that every person shall be entitled to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination of information.

She said the institution went further in Section 16(2c) that “the state shall direct its policy towards ensuring that the economic system is not operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or groups.

“The intendment of these two provisions is that by liberalizing communication and media, that the sector be competitive in line with our economic policies.”

The bill passed through second reading without debate when the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara called for a voice vote.


http://thenationonlineng.net/reps-pass-bill-to-break-monopoly-of-dstv/

Nice one

since our sub finish na so so AIT i dey watch

Wow, this is good news for all. Imagine you being able to watch the bpl and other high value content on any service provider of your choice so far you can afford it. It's high time that chain of monopoly is sawed... Let us have competition.

Laughing but don't even know why I'm laughing

I don't even use dstv.

Dstv is just over-rated.

Any bill that will be bring about healthy competition is welcome

if it can be done, nice...if not, den bubu is a dullard?

As far as i can choose the channels i like and pay for them alone. DSTV owners are very stubborn

I don't think that sector is monopolised but Nigerians just enjoy it because
it is not a Nigerian company
secondly they have good contents
thirdly they bribed their ways to the good will of the senators so they will keep using it.
lastly majority of the people discussing in the senate are hypocrites, they are shareholders and will keep using it. most of them don't pay far it. Na your money an mine.

Whilst the House of representative members are passing the bills that would be beneficial to Nigerians into law, the Senators are fooling themselves on the passage of the 2016 Budget, anyway, life goes on..

Vision4God:
I don't even use dstv.

Dstv is just over-rated.

What do you use?

Is passing a bill the solution,or other companies should emerge to break the monopoly.

The high cost of entry into cable tv is the problem. It will cost billions of naira to enter and still take years before you break even.

Also, broadcasts rights to football games are prohibitive. What do you think sustains Mikel's 80,000 a week salary? Its certainly not entrance fees.

Added to that is the high cost of credit ie 25%. That's what ran those guys out of business

translation?

Let's hope DSTV will not bribe their links and puppets at the national assembly to sit on this till thy kingdom come.

If budget can go missing only to return amended, then anything can happen in that national assembly.

That's good! This move has been long overdue.

These reps are just jobless. If you don't like dstv, buy startimes or cmtv nobody tied your hands or forced you. If the NBC as a regulator didn't know about or couldn't enforce industry best practices like their counterparts worldwide, who is to blame ?

ok

What to do

But where is lalasticlala sef....day don break for Abuja.

Come what would we call other types of cable in the market eg NTA's and TVC's owned cables. Is it not breaking the monopoly of DSTV?

Good, especially the part which says "proposed law, she said, is a remedy to the obvious lacuna in the NBC Act and strengthens the NBC as Nigeria has no set of codified laws that speaks to the subject matter".

Their should be price restructuring such that I pay only for channels I choose to watch and per hour/minute subscription should be the way. Monthly subscription and package is a ripped off.

Finally somebody wakes up. The rate at which our leaders turn blind eyes to the suffering of the masses, one would think they actually hate our comfort.


Well let's see what happens next.

Nice one

If true, then it is a good move that should have been started

I know say na a woman go dey sponsor that bill, na dem dis DSTV tyn dey affect pass..

I concur.

Welcome development... They should pass it quick and subsequently pass it into law..
Startimes ti take over... I hope DSTV don't go bribing ppl oo... Meanwhile no b today disobedience of court order start.. I thought there was a court order stopping DSTV from implementing their new subscription rates..





Check my signature for your breathtaking wallpapers and 3D wall panels, 3D epoxy floors, ceilings and wooden blinds & floors..

Nigeria@@ so we need to go through this stress of national assembly to break the monopoly of a foreign company in our land... Nigeria has been sold

Hope the bill would see the light of day.

Nice..
Finally. A bill that favour the populace.