Sierra Leone’s telco regulator to cough up $4.2m or shut down

Mingalaba,

Victoria from Techpoint here,

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

Sierra Leone’s telco regulator to cough up $4.2m or shut down
No post without vetting, says ARCON
Spiro to expand its footprint into Tanzania and Cameroon

Sierra Leone’s telco regulator to cough up $4.2m or shut down

Sierra Leone’s taxman isn’t messing about. The country’s National Revenue Authority (NRA) has given a stern warning to the telecoms regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM), threatening to shut its offices over an unpaid tax bill worth a hefty $4.2 million. In a formal letter, the NRA said it’s ready to physically “seal or lock up” NATCOM’s premises if the money doesn’t come through.

The debt comes as part of a wider government shake-up. A new administration recently took over and has decided it’s time to do some housekeeping. According to the Open Tax Initiative’s Tanu Jalloh, NATCOM had been holding on to cash — about $30 million — that it’s now being told to hand over to the national purse. That’s a significant reversal of past arrangements.

And it’s not just NATCOM in hot water. Sierratel, the state-owned telco, has had its bank acc0unts frozen due to another eye-watering backlog, around $14 million in taxes and debt. The government says it’s owed both customs duties and loan repayments, and it’s not in the mood to wait around.

In the middle of all this drama, NATCOM is still dishing out punishment to the country’s mobile networks. It recently ordered all three telcos — Orange, Africell and Sierratel — to offer fre.e on-net calls for three days after they failed to improve service quality despite a tariff hike agreed in April. The idea was that more expensive calls would mean better networks, but NATCOM says the companies flopped on their end of the deal.

Related Story: Sierra Leone gets first digital banking super app

The fines weren’t small either. NATCOM hit the three telcos with penalties totalling $1.35 million. The move marks the first time Sierra Leone has forced telcos to give out fre.e calls as penalty. Public reaction is split: some are happy with the freebies, but many are asking for cheaper tariffs, more reliable calls, and faster Internet instead.

So, between unpaid taxes, frozen bank accounts, and disgruntled customers, it’s been a bumpy ride for Sierra Leone’s telecoms industry. And with the government tightening the screws, it looks like there’s more turbulence to come.

No post without vetting, says ARCON

If you’re a content creator in Nigeria, you might want to pause that post before hitting “upload.” The country’s advertising regulator, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), is no longer playing around. What started as a ₦30 billion lawsuit against Meta has morphed into a full-on crackdown on anyone who dares run an ad without their say-so — even influencers.

Back in 2022, ARCON took Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to court, accusing them of running unvetted ads in Nigeria. But after nearly two years of going nowhere, the regulator pulled out in 2024, calling it a “tactical redeployment.” Basically, not giving up, just changing gears.

And shift gears they did. Instead of chasing tech giants directly, ARCON is now laser-focused on the creators, influencers, and digital advertisers who use those platforms. In their view, anyone promoting products online is an advertiser and needs approval to run ads. This means everything from skits to sponsored posts now falls under their regulatory hammer.

In fact, a separate case in Lagos in 2024 confirmed ARCON’s powers. A court ruled that the regulator can indeed oversee ads on all platforms, including social media even if the creator isn’t a registered advertising practitioner. So, whether it’s TikTok or Twitter, ARCON has the final say on what goes live.

This is huge. It means brands, influencers, and creators can’t just post sponsored content anymore without getting a stamp of approval first. Back in 2023, ARCON even introduced a price list: vetting ads could cost anywhere between ₦7,500 and ₦100,000. That’s no small change for a hustling content creator.

So what’s next? If you’re wondering how the verification process works or what this means for your creative hustle, check out Noah’s — yeah, my boss’s — latest story.

Spiro to expand its footprint into Tanzania and Cameroon

Spiro, one of Africa’s fast-growing electric vehicle companies, is spreading its wings again, this time into Tanzania and Cameroon. The e-mobility firm is pushing forward with its goal to solve urban transport headaches and cut down carbon emissions by rolling out hundreds of its electric two-wheelers in both countries.

In Tanzania, the company is thinking beyond just bikes. Spiro officials say they’re planning to build or partner on assembly plants, a move that could create local jobs, reduce the cost of importing vehicles, and make it cheaper for everyday riders to own an electric bike.

So far, Spiro has set up over ten battery-swapping stations in Tanzania, with plans to roll out even more across the country. Riders can pull up, switch batteries, and hit the road again without waiting hours to recharge. That seems convenient and way more efficient.

To get more people involved in the e-mobility space, Spiro says it will offer bank-financed vehicle ownership plans and organise training programmes, especially targeting youth and small business owners. The company’s CEO, Kaushik Burman, says it’s all about affordable, clean transport that also boosts local economies.

Cameroon is up next, with Spiro’s bikes expected to hit the streets by next month. The company says it’s not just about getting people from point A to B; it wants to be part of the country’s energy shift, reduce air pollution in cities, and create new job opportunities.

Spiro’s executives are also calling on the Cameroonian government to back the green mobility movement. That includes support through tax breaks, infrastructure, and partnerships that can help make EVs the go-to option for transport in the region.

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