Summary

Facts

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) issued these guidelines to provide direction for the handling of consumer complaints. The guidelines apply to complaints made by consumers of electronic communications services against electronic communications service providers but do not apply to complaints related to broadcasting content.
The guidelines set out the requirements and conditions for seeking the assistance of the TCRA with a complaint. The guidelines require that the consumer attempt to resolve his or her complaint with the operator/service provider first before referring the complaint to the TCRA. The Consumer Complaints Unit (CCU) of the TCRA follows up on complaints referred to the TCRA by consumers. The CCU may investigate the complaint and attempts to resolve disputes amicably during the investigation.
If the complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the consumer within 60 days after having been received by the TCRA, the consumer may request the CCU to refer the complaint to the Complaint Committee (the Committee) of the TCRA for decision. Once a complaint has been referred to the Committee, the complaint becomes known as a reference, and the consumer and the operator/service provider become parties to the reference. The Committee hears all evidence, arguments, and documents presented by the parties and must make a decision on the reference within 30-60 days. The guidelines set out the scope of the Committee's authority to order actions to be carried out by the operator/service provider.
In certain circumstances, a consumer may appeal the decision of the Committee to the Fair Competition Tribunal. The guidelines specify the grounds for appeal, as well as the remedies that the Fair Competition Tribunal may order.
The guidelines also set out procedural requirements for lodging complaints with the TCRA.