Business
COMMUNICATION TAX BILL: 25m Nigerians to lose access to phones –-ATCON
No fewer than 25 million out of the estimated 150 million telecommunications consumers in Nigeria will lose access to telephone use, if the Communications Service Tax bill, currently before the Senate eventually becomes law, according to the Associations of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
Part of the tax bill is stipulating 9 per cent tax on each service rendered by the various GSM and data services operators.
The Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), by the terms of the new law, will create special data bank to harness the resources to be generated through the tax.
On their part, the operators are to link up each consumer of their services to FIRS using his or her personal information captured through the sim cards.
But reacting on behalf of their customers ATCON President, Mr. Olusola Teniola, said the association was mobilising the public towards resisting the move to increase the cost of telecoms services in Nigeria.
According to him, “Even if there would be any tax on the services, it should not be more than 0.2 per cent, in view of the burden that an average consumer will have to bear after the law has taken effect.”
“We are not against tax in the country, but effort should be made to avoid double taxation . We will be happy to support the government to make the best of our tax efforts, which certainly are key components of strengthening the economy and sustaining our industry,” Teniola said.
He added, “We ask for a reconsideration of the CST Bill; we recommend, as an alternative, a tax reform that increases the current Value Added Tax by a new one per cent added for the purpose of development of communications. Another alternative is that the tax being proposed in the bill should be limited to 0.2 per cent.”
In his comment, the coordinator of Telecoms Consumers Association Nigeria (TeCAN), Mr. Mike Odukoya said imposition of tax on telecoms users at the present period of harsh economic measures will disconnect more than 40 per cent of phone and data users.
He said even countries that have been enjoying better services than Nigeria were yet to impose any service charge tax, so it will be resisted.
By Emma Eke….
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Animashaun Ayodeji
November 7, 2016 at 5:18 pm
Good. Nigerians will start contributing directly into the economy through telephone tax.
Roland Uchendu Pele
November 7, 2016 at 5:35 pm
If Nigerians are compelled to contribute via telecoms, the telecom industry will be mostly affected, as most Nigerians, especially from the rural areas, would let go of their phones.
Margret Dickson
November 7, 2016 at 5:19 pm
All these new policies will do Nigerians no good. Now that we are struggling to each, how do we now pay telephone tax?
Johnson Amadi
November 7, 2016 at 5:24 pm
These people are comedians. Nigerians will gladly go back to looking for cheats to make calls like before.
Joy Madu
November 8, 2016 at 5:36 am
Is good na if nigeria go beg for cheats at list that will bring the change we are talking about. Then we be called beggers of change
yanju omotodun
November 7, 2016 at 5:43 pm
The tax we pay on using phones is much already so they should not try that with us. Though the tax is indirect.
JOHNSON PETER
November 7, 2016 at 5:51 pm
I won’t be calling again o. I will just be flashing people. What a country where every one place hardship on you. MTN , Glo, etisalat and AIRTEL are all exploiting us. Now federal government want to join hands with them to oppress us more.
Amaka Okoro
November 8, 2016 at 5:26 am
No be small thing so this hardship enter telecom this is just the beginning of hardship no phone calls again
Amarachi Okoye
November 8, 2016 at 5:51 am
Which one be phone tax.there is nothing our leaders will not do to get money na wa for this country