Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) has strongly criticized the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority’s (PURA) recent decision to impose a minimum price of GMD 50 per gigabyte of mobile data, warning that the move risks undermining consumer welfare and reversing hard-won gains from market competition.
For years, Gambians endured some of the highest data prices in the sub-region with little relief. But a recent wave of competition among mobile operators drove tariffs down to their lowest levels, making internet access more affordable for households, students, and small businesses.
The GCCPC says PURA’s intervention effectively halts this progress. “The introduction of price regulation will prevent consumers from benefiting from unfettered competition,” the Commission said in a statement on Wednesday. “Such regulatory interventions risk undermining the gains of open market rivalry, where businesses compete on price, quality, and service innovation to the benefit of consumers.”
PURA, however, defends its policy, arguing that the so-called “price war” created unsustainable conditions that left networks congested, internet speeds slower, and service quality declining. By setting a floor price below the African average of USD 1 per GB, PURA says it is ensuring that operators remain financially capable of reinvesting in infrastructure while safeguarding long-term consumer interests.
“Cheap data that doesn’t work is no victory for consumers,” the regulator said in its media release. “This intervention restores balance, ensuring affordable prices, but also reliable and sustainable service for every Gambian.”
The GCCPC counters that raising prices without first addressing structural issues—such as weak investment and compliance with service quality standards—“punishes consumers instead of solving the real problems.” It stressed that such a policy disproportionately affects the most vulnerable, who rely on cheaper packages for education, healthcare information, and small-scale business operations.
“Consumer protection is built on fairness, equity, and justice,” the watchdog said. “The true test is how well it safeguards the most vulnerable, not how comfortably it serves the elite.”
While PURA has promised to introduce safeguards—including lifeline packages for low-income users, greater transparency in cost modeling, and strict enforcement of quality-of-service benchmarks—the GCCPC insists that affordable internet and improved service quality should not be treated as mutually exclusive goals.
The sharp divergence between the two regulators has now placed consumers at the center of a policy tug-of-war: one side insisting that regulation is necessary to protect long-term service delivery, the other warning that it will price out the very people the sector is meant to serve.
