Hargeisa (KAAB TV) – Somaliland’s government has declared the recent internet price hike by telecommunications companies “completely illegal,” saying the coordinated increase violated the region’s free-market principles before it was reversed under intense public pressure.
Speaking to reporters in Hargeisa on Tuesday, a government committee tasked with reviewing the issue said telecom firms had no legal basis to jointly raise prices on August 8, calling the move a direct threat to competitive market practices.
Communications and Technology Minister Jamaal Mohamed Jama said the committee met with internet service providers and reviewed their justification for the price increase before ruling that the coordinated action could not stand. He said the companies’ decision to raise prices simultaneously amounted to an unlawful agreement that distorted market conditions.
Aviation and Airports Development Minister Fu’aad Ahmed Nuux, who read the committee’s decisions to the media, said any business arrangement that harms the public including companies aligning their prices at the same level and at the same time is prohibited under Somaliland’s market system.
He stressed that Somaliland operates a free-market model, meaning prices must rise or fall based on demand, supply, and competition, not through coordinated action among service providers.
Telecommunications companies raised internet prices on August 8, triggering widespread public outcry across major towns and on social media. The backlash forced the companies to withdraw the increase within days, underscoring the public’s reliance on affordable connectivity and the sensitivity surrounding digital access in the region.