Mobile phone operators have hiked tariffs by more than 200 percent on the back of the Zimbabwean consumer's ever-eroded spending power. 

Fixed telephone operators are also poised to announce new tariffs.

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe

Telecommunications giant, Econet has announced that with effect from the end of this month, on average a single phone call (Econet to Econet) will cost $41 000 per minute up from approximately $7 000 per minute.

"A single phone call (Econet to another service provider) will cost around $42 000 per minute," said the company.

NetOne and Telecel have not yet confirmed their new tariffs.

Tawanda Dzikiti, an Econet customer says the increments mean that he will have to limit phone calls and resort to more of sending sms.

"The new tariffs are just too much because if I make a phone call for ten minutes, this means that I would have spend at least $400 000," he said.

The telecommunications industry expects the new tariffs to improve service and foster viability in the sector.

Many Zimbabweans cannot afford to purchase cellphones which costs around $60 million on average. Sim cards which are not available from the three network providers are readily available on the black market where they cost a prohibitive $70 million or even more.

"Making a phone call has been expensive for quite some time in this country and it seems it is getting worse," said a customer who prefered anonimity.

"An international phone call from an Econet line will now attract a cost of around $60 000 per minute whilst sending an sms will be around $11 000 up from a figure close to

$1 800," added Econet.

Another Econet customer, Mary Mukonori cites the new tariffs are justified.

"Everything is going up in terms of prices and network providers should peg prices that keep them in business and that is how business is surviving at the moment," she says.

In the past years, the service from all network providers has been and continues to deteriorate notably with Telecel and Netone.

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