The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria has said that the passing into law the nine per cent Communications Service Tax (CST) bill currently before the Senate would deprive 20 million Nigerians access to telecommunications services.

This is contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos by ATCON’s President, Mr Olusola Teniola, after he led a delegation of his members on a courtesy visit to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

He urged the Senate to use its legislative powers to reduce the nine per cent Communications Service Tax to 0.2 per cent.

Teniola said the nine per cent new tax on ICT services that was being proposed would exclude 20 million Nigerians, which represented 10 per cent of the country’s population, from accessing telecommunication services.


He said that ATCON’s mandate was to support the Federal Government to succeed in attracting and protecting investments in the telecommunications industry.

“ATCON’s mandate is to make meaningful input to all aspects of economic development, including legislation and management of telecommunications industry, so it continues to oil growth and development.

“The ongoing work on the proposed nine per cent Communication Service Tax Bill is a trending subject.

“We will be happy to support government to make the best of our tax efforts, which certainly are key components of strengthening the economy and sustaining our industry.

“Contrary to uninformed opinions; we do not object to reforms in taxation, neither do we regard taxes as burden.

“We ask for a reconsideration of the CST Bill, we recommend, as an alternative, a tax reform that increases the current VAT 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 be limited to 0.2 per cent,” he said.

Teniola said that there was severe pressure at these times and Government revenue could be different.

He pleaded that the template, with which the telecommunications industry was viewed and assessed, be slightly modified.


Source: http://www.naijahard.com/2016/11/cst-bill-20-million-nigerians-may-be.html

cc; lalasticlaa

Na so. But to be frank 9% is too much

More good news about Nigeria

deprive telecommunications access, not in naija cuz we survive in all ways. Strong People, Greenland

Would this help? Let us wait and watch

Probably because other taxes aren't yielding enough but it's not an excuse because they are many loopholes in the tax system they have to address first before thinking of increase.
Nigeria is not UK were nearly everything are taxed . Those guys aren't complaining much because they see what the government is using it for until Nigeria were tax revenue develop wings and fly