MTN fine must 'be doubled' - Nigeria lawmaker

Cape Town - MTN Group should pay double the $5.2bn it was originally fined by Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator in 2015, according to the spokesperson for the West African country’s House of Representatives.

Africa’s biggest wireless operator must pay 400 000 naira ($2 015) for each of the 5.2 million unregistered phone lines it failed to deactivate before a deadline, instead of 200 000 naira, lawmaker Abdulrazak Namdas said in a phone interview from Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

He also said the lower chamber will “investigate” why Johannesburg-based MTN has been dealing with Nigeria’s attorney general instead of the Nigerian Communications Commission in trying to get the fine reduced.

While the penalty was cut to $3.9bn earlier this year, MTN proposed this month to pay $1.5bn in cash and instalments to settle it.

MTN’s proposal includes $252m that was paid in February in order to continue negotiations.

MTN spokesperson Chris Maroleng said the company wouldn’t comment on the Nigerian lawmakers’ call.

“We note ongoing media report coming from Nigeria,” Maroleng said. “But we cannot be drawn into commenting on the matter as we are awaiting clarity and an official position from the Nigerian government on the matter.”

He added MTN would guide the market accordingly “when there is more clarity on the matter”.

Shares in MTN, which have declined 38% during the last 12 months, rose 0.9% to close at R128.64 in Johannesburg on Tuesday.