KAMPALA: Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has defended the country's new social media tax, saying Ugandans were using such platforms for "lying", and squandering the nation's hard currency on fees to foreign-owned telecoms firms.In May Uganda's parliament passed new tax laws that introduced a levy of 200 shillings (US$0.05) per day for access to a range of online services.The platforms that have been identified by the country's revenue service for the tax include Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, YouTube, Skype, Yahoo Messenger and many others.The tax, collected by mobile phone internet service providers since July 1, is equivalent to about 20 percent of what typical Ugandan users pay for their mobile phone data plans.In a statement on Twitter, Museveni described social media as a "luxury by those who are enjoying themselves or those who are malicious...all the moral reasons are in favour of that tax."Ugandan social media users, he said, were "endlessly donating money to … [Read more...] about Uganda leader says social media used for ‘lying’, defends tax for access
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Uganda levies unpopular social media tax, criticised by Amnesty
KAMPALA: Uganda has imposed a levy on social media access which it says will fund public services but has been widely resisted as oppressive and aimed at curbing government criticism.Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, Skype, Google Hangouts, yahoo Messenger are among the many brands accessed via telecoms networks covered by the 1.51 Pound(US$0.0517) per user per day tax to access over the top (OTT) services.Deputy government spokesman Shaban Bantariza told Reuters that the new levy took effect at midnight on Saturday and said the levy was an appropriate source of much needed revenue.Uganda has about 23.6 million mobile phone subscribers, 17 million of whom use the internet, the state-run Uganda Communications Commission says.Biting government criticism on Facebook has in the past attracted the ire of officials and some critics have been charged over such posts.Amnesty International called on Uganda to scap the tax, saying it robbed "many people of their right to freedom of … [Read more...] about Uganda levies unpopular social media tax, criticised by Amnesty
Uganda telecom operators to start charging social media tax
KAMPALA: Uganda's major telecom operators, including the local division of South Africa's MTN Group, said they will ask customers to pay a new government tax on social media accounts before they can access them.Last month, Uganda's parliament passed new laws that introduced a new tax on use of so called Over The Top (OTT) services: communications platforms offered over the traditional telecom networks.They include popular social media platforms WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Google Hangouts, Yahoo Messenger, Instagram, YouTube, Skype and others.The tax is supposed to come in with the 2018/19 (July-June) financial year and each user is supposed to pay a flat fee of 200 shillings (US$0.0516) per day.A joint statement from MTN, Bharti Airtel and Africell on Friday, said that from July 1 OTT services can be accessed on payment of the OTT tax by the customer.Payment will be via the three telecom firms' mobile money platforms. Customers will then be granted access to the platforms if they … [Read more...] about Uganda telecom operators to start charging social media tax