By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Despite a court ruling forbiding the company from implementing the hike, Multichoice Nigeria has forged ahead with its plan to raise prices for DStv and GOtv subscribers.
Initially announced on April 24, Multichoice informed subscribers of an impending fee increase for its cable services, slated to take effect from May 1.
However, a competition and consumer protection tribunal (CCPT) in Abuja issued an interim order halting the price hike following an ex-parte motion.
Despite the court’s directive, a recent check revealed that Multichoice has proceeded with the tariff adjustment as initially proposed. The new prices are now being displayed and enforced on its official website.
For DStv Premium subscribers, the price has skyrocketed from N29,500 to N37,000, a significant increase. Compact Plus subscribers are now paying N25,000 instead of N19,800, a substantial jump. Similarly, the rates for Compact, Confam, and Yanga subscribers have all been adjusted upwards, putting a strain on their budgets.
GOtv subscribers are also affected by the price increase, with changes reflected on their official websites. Elite subscribers (Supa+ and Supa) now pay N15,700 and N9,600, respectively, while Max and Jolli subscribers are expected to pay N7,200 and N4,850, respectively.
Multichoice attributed the price hike to factors such as the foreign exchange crunch, high electricity tariff, and operational costs