Just when we thought the social media bill has gone down the drain with the Ugandan government… Zambia’s government alerted its citizens that it plans to introduce daily tax charges for the use of internet call services such as WhatsApp calls and Skype in a bid to protect telcos from lost revenue.
People are making use of WhatsApp calls, skype calls, Viber etc. at the expense of traditional calls and this threatens the telecom industry and the jobs at Airtel, MTN and Zamtel.
The cabinet has approved an executive order that would see the introduction of N10 ($0.03) daily tariff charged on internet calls. “Jobs such as call centre workers, talk time sellers, conventional call technicians will reduce drastically if more Zambians migrate to internet calls and create jobs in America and elsewhere … said Zambia government.
The government claims over 80% of the country mobile subscribers are using internet calls, and thus the need to tax the growing trend.
Tax on WhatsApp calls? Zambia is not a country. It’s a business.
— Absolut Vanilla (@tandiiwe) August 13, 2018
You’ll recall that about Uganda initiated this move imposing a tax of $0.05 daily on the users of “over-the-top” platform.
Gradually the move to regulate social media is extending to other African country and we don’t know which country is next but this must never cross to Nigeria.
If the tax applies only when you chose to make those internet calls then I don’t think its too much anyways.
It won’t cross to Nigeria anytime soon, they still have the upcoming election to worry about
Honestly it mustn’t get to Nigeria o. Imagine spending daily just to access the internet as if purchasing the expensive data plans wasn’t enough already.
Getting data plans to access the net is expensive enough, they better not try it.
this is rubbish
that means There will price hike
Everything about Nigeria is always bad news so I won’t be surprise . But then it depends on Whosever that will approve it. If the money that they are making already is not enough for them.
Hope we don’t get to that stage.
They can’t try that Nonsense here in Nigeria at all…
Trust African leaders to always copy rubbish from each other.. When developed countries offer their citizens free wifi, they don’t see such to implement at home but things like this gives them thrill.
This is getting seriously gradually. I thought it was a Joke, yet these countries are taken steps to impose tax for real. The policy is gradually gaining momentum. We need to stop the trend..
9ja na no go area for now. Though they might try it later but not now
Observing
If not for our government bad attitude, paying tax shouldn’t be an issue but our government using it judiciously at the right channel is the problem. God bless Nigeria.
Very likely especially if APC continue to rule us
I think with the way things are going currently in Nigeria
Politicians defecting from one party to another
This will still take time
I just pray it dont come into Nigeria.
This one no go good oh
I really dnt think dis would come to Nigeria