Association of Mobile Phones and Allied Products Traders of Nigeria has rejected plans by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to impose registration fees on newly imported mobile devices through its Device Management System (DMS).

The traders said they are not opposed to the DMS, which is designed to establish a register of mobile devices operating on Nigerian telecommunications networks, but objected to the proposed payment requirement for newly imported devices.

The President of the association, Musa Haruna Mamza, said the proposed charges would ultimately be passed on to consumers because Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), distributors and dealers would have to factor the cost into the prices of devices.

Mamza said the association is particularly concerned that Nigerians could end up paying additional costs for the registration of devices, arguing that the burden should not be transferred to consumers.

“The companies that produce the devices refuse to say they will bear the cost, and so the OEMs, dealers or distributors will be at the cost of paying that fee. Then they will transfer it to the end user,” he said.

According to him, the association supports the registration of mobile devices but wants the NCC to reconsider the payment component and engage stakeholders more extensively before implementation.

Mamza also faulted the level of awareness created among mobile phone traders ahead of the proposed implementation, saying many businesses had not been adequately sensitised or trained on the new system.

He called for a comprehensive awareness campaign and training programme to enable traders to understand the requirements and procedures for registering devices.

“We are not against the policy. We are against some of the aspects which are detrimental to the industry. This is our concern,” he said.