The West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) is taking steps to ensure a more equitable and consumer-friendly telecommunications landscape across the region. A recent in-person meeting of the WATRA “Access and Consumer Experience” working group in Banjul, Gambia, yielded crucial recommendations for harmonizing consumer rights and complaint-handling procedures.
A Unified Approach to Consumer Protection
Representatives from eight National Telecommunications Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo convened to discuss best practices and propose solutions to safeguard consumer interests. The group emphasized the importance of establishing a unified framework to protect consumer rights and ensure efficient regional complaint resolution.
Key areas of focus included:
- Consumer Rights: The group underscored the importance of fundamental consumer rights, such as the right to information, choice, fair contracts, and accurate billing.
- Privacy and Security: Protecting user privacy and data security was a top priority, along with the right to opt out of unsolicited electronic messages.
- Complaint Handling: The group recommended adopting Senegal’s ARTP’s proposed complaint processing times to ensure timely resolution of consumer grievances.
- Consumer Responsibilities: The group highlighted the importance of consumer responsibility, including timely bill payments and honest interactions with service providers.
- NRA Responsibilities: NRAs were urged to implement simplified and transparent complaint-handling procedures, create a single short number for customer service, and establish testing and conformity assessment laboratories.
A Brighter Future for West African Consumers
By adopting these recommendations, WATRA aims to create a more transparent, reliable, and consumer-friendly telecommunications environment for millions of users across West Africa. The collaborative spirit demonstrated at the Banjul meeting is a promising sign for the future of telecommunications regulation in the region.
Aliyu Aboki, Executive Secretary of WATRA, emphasized the organization’s commitment to protecting consumer rights and ensuring that their concerns are addressed effectively and uniformly across member states.
Amara Brewah, Chairman of WATRA, highlighted the significance of establishing uniform procedures to guarantee that every consumer receives the same level of protection and service.