Telcos Kick As FG Plans 12.5% Call Tax

The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers has described the Federal Government’s decision to increase the total consumption tax on telecom services to 12.5 per cent as irresponsible and ill-timed.

The association noted that an increment of tax will impoverish Nigerians especially as telecom services are essential to everyone.

The Federal Government had on Thursday announced plans to implement a five per cent excise duty tax on telecoms services at a stakeholders’ forum on the implementation of excise duty on telecommunications services in Nigeria.

The Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, stated this at the forum which was organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Ahmed, who was represented by the Assistant Chief Officer of the Ministry, Mr Frank Oshanipin, said the five per cent excise duty was in the Finance Act, 2020 but had not been implemented.

She said, “Payments are to be made on monthly basis, on or before the 21st of every month.

“The duty rate was not captured in the Act because it is the responsibility of the President to fix rates on excise duties and he has fixed five per cent for telecommunication services which include GSM. It is public knowledge that our revenue cannot run our financial obligations, so we are to shift our attention to non-oil revenue.

“The responsibility of generating revenue to run government lies with us all.”