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A telecoms tax epidemic is sweeping across Africa, adding to already high tax levels imposed on operators on the continent, according to Isabelle Gross of Balancing Act. The tax is being levied on inbound international calls and will increase their costs by between 20 – 100%. This will make the cost of doing business with Africa rise significantly in a time of global economic downturn, she writes. Worse still, the tax directly contravenes the Melbourne Convention signed by most African countries. Local organisations in countries such as Gabon, Ghana and Senegal have spoken out against the taxes, while Coftel (Conférence des Opérateurs et Fournisseurs des Télécommunications) has asked the West African Economic and Monetary Union to make heads of state aware that they should not embark on this policy which would have negative economic consequences.
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