The National Union of Civil Society Organizations (NUCSO-SL) has condemned the continuous increase in mobile data tariffs and is calling for the immediate resignation of the Director General of the National Telecommunications Authority (NATCA).

In a statement released on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, NUCSO-SL accused NATCA, the regulatory body overseeing Sierra Leone’s telecommunications sector, of failing to protect consumer rights despite persistent public complaints.

The Union described this neglect as a “systematic failure” that has eroded public trust, calling the tariff hikes unjustified and burdensome to consumers, students, and small businesses.

NUCSO-SL argued that the Director General has exhibited “gross regulatory incompetence” by failing to enforce the Consumer Protection Act, 2020, which criminalizes misleading commercial practices, unfair contractual terms, price manipulation, and coercive business conduct, while empowering regulators to impose fines, imprisonment, or revoke licenses.

According to the Union, consumers are losing millions of Leones daily due to exploitative practices by telecom operators, with no effective monitoring, accountability, or transparent justification from either the companies or the regulator.

NUCSO-SL has urged President Julius Maada Bio and the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Civic Education to intervene by ordering an independent investigation into NATCA’s regulatory failures, enforcing the Consumer Protection Act, and instituting transparent pricing mechanisms in the telecommunications sector.

The Union reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for fairness, transparency, and consumer justice in Sierra Leone.