East African Business Week

KAMPALA, UGANDA- MultiChoice Uganda (DStv) customers will from the start of April this year have to cough a few more dollars after the company announced new monthly subscription charges.
According to Louis Maepa the Chief Operating Officer the new DStv monthly subscription fees have changed to $78 around (Ushs1872000) from $76 (Ushs182400), showing a $2 (Ushs4800) increment.
She said last week that all other bouquets and access fees remained unchanged. The access fees apply in a case of Dual View, XtraView, PVR and HDPVR installation.
"Please be advised that MultiChoice Africa annual subscription price increase will become effective 1st April 2011.
"In determining a price increase, MultiChoice takes into account many factors including, and amongst others, the impact on the subscriber, operational costs, satellite lease cost, programming costs and efficiencies affected within the company," stressed Maepa.
 Maepa indicated that DStv will continue to provide world class home television entertainment, news and sports programming in line with the best digital pay television platforms worldwide.
Helen Mayanja the MultiChoice Uganda Public Relations manager explained that the increase in the price is an annual increase which is necessitated by escalating input costs to the business. She said they include satellite costs, channel costs and operational costs.
"As such, it is likely that such an increase will occur every year in April," noted Mayanja.
She added that the MultiChoice cost structure has, like any other business, various input costs, which include salaries, technical infrastructure costs, satellite lease costs, marketing costs and channel costs.
In determining the price increase MultiChoice also took into account many factors including the impact on the subscriber, current inflation, and efficiencies affected within the company that may offset the necessity for a price increase.
"It is unfortunate that we are implementing the price increase on an annual basis but it is due to the rising costs to do business," she acknowledged.