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Communication Minister Kicks Against FG’s Proposal to Impose 5% Tax on Calls, Text, Data

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has kicked against the Federal Government’s plans to impose a 5% excise duty on telecommunications services in the country.

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Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has kicked against the Federal Government’s plans to impose a 5% excise duty on telecommunications services in the country.

The minister, who spoke at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Telecommunications indigenous Content Expo, NTICE, in Lagos, said the sector, which was already drawing in massive interest, creating jobs, and enlarging huge revenue to the GDP, should not be inconvenienced with such taxes.

He said: “The 5 percent excise duty will overburden the industry. As a Minister, I was neither consulted nor obtained a memo to that effect. Even the appropriate lawmakers that were supposed to be talked with have also told me they were not.

”Things are not done that way. Besides condemning the tax, we will take every lawful step to guarantee that the tax does not stand.”

The minister also argued about the large percentage of importation of ICT and telecoms equipment into the country, even when some of these equipment could be acquired in the country.

He gave a marching order to all stakeholders that henceforth, the Federal Government will not condone importation of anything into the country when it can be manufactured here in the country.

“The sector has to reasonably reduce importation. The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, and the National Office for the Promotion of Indigenous Content, NODIT, should carry out this policy.

“By 2025, we’ll be qualified to increase our indigenous content and decrease importation by about 20 percent.”

The Minister’s attack on the excise duty is coming after major stakeholders in the sector, including the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, and National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, NATCOMS, also kicked against the motion, interpreting it as anti-people, provocative, unusual, cold and unreliable.

At a stakeholders’ forum organized in Abuja by the NCC to shed light on its proposed commission, they also complained that such imposition would help aggravate the misery of the Nigerian masses who already had been pushed into suffering and severe poverty.

The new five percent Excise Duty is part of the new finance act signed into law by the President in 2020. It is meant to be received by the Nigerian Customs Service, and President Buhari gave a ruling that it should be carried out on all telecoms service providers in the country, also on all local and foreign goods and services.

The Minister of Finance, Budget, and Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, had also at that event, persuaded stakeholders to assist the commission, saying the decision was informed by the dwindling revenue of the federal government from oil and gas.

She said other countries in Africa, involving Malawi, Uganda, and Tanzania, among others, have all keyed into the revenue generation structure.

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Telecommunications

NCC Files Copyright Infringement Charges Against MTN Nigeria and Others

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The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has taken legal action against MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd. and four individuals, including its Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, over alleged copyright infringement.

The charges, filed in the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, revolve around the unauthorized use of musical works belonging to artist Maleke Idowu Moye.

According to the NCC, the defendants are accused of offering for sale, selling, and trading musical works of Maleke without his consent between 2010 and 2017. These works were allegedly used as Caller Ring Back Tunes without proper authorization.

The musical pieces in question include popular tracks such as “911,” “Minimini-wanawana,” and “Stop racism,” among others.

The commission further alleges that the defendants distributed these musical works to subscribers without authorization, infringing upon the rights of the artist.

The charges are based on provisions of the Copyright Act, Cap. C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

As the case awaits assignment to a judge and a fixed date for mention, it marks a significant development in the ongoing efforts to uphold copyright protection in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

This legal action underscores the NCC’s commitment to safeguarding the intellectual property rights of artists and creators within the country.

MTN Nigeria, a major player in the telecommunications industry, now faces a legal battle that could have broader implications for how intellectual property rights are respected and enforced within Nigeria’s digital landscape.

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Telecommunications

MTN’s MoMo Sees 32.2% Surge in Transaction Volumes

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MTN Nigeria - Investors King

MTN Group’s mobile money platform, MoMo, has experienced a 32.2% surge in transaction volumes.

With 72.5 million active users, MoMo continues to solidify its position as a leading fintech service provider in Africa, tapping into the continent’s burgeoning mobile banking sector.

The company’s success underscores the growing trend of Africa’s young and tech-savvy population embracing mobile technology to address financial needs.

Mobile phones are increasingly becoming a tool for bridging gaps in services, particularly in banking, presenting a lucrative opportunity for wireless carriers like MTN to capitalize on the burgeoning fintech market.

MTN’s achievement comes as it finalizes a deal with Mastercard Inc., valuing its fintech business at an impressive $5.2 billion.

This strategic partnership further enhances MTN’s position in the digital finance space, positioning it for continued growth and innovation.

However, MTN is not alone in its fintech endeavors. Rivals such as Airtel Africa Plc, Safaricom Plc, and Vodacom Group Ltd. are also making strides in digital transformation, with plans to separate and monetize their fintech businesses in the long term.

Airtel Africa, for instance, is reportedly considering an IPO for its mobile money unit, indicating the high stakes and intense competition within the sector.

Despite the remarkable success in its fintech ventures, MTN faced challenges in its core telecommunications business, with service revenue growth slowing to 6.8%.

Inflation and currency devaluation in key markets, particularly Nigeria, impacted profitability, highlighting the complexities of operating in diverse African markets.

As MTN continues to expand its fintech footprint and invest in infrastructure to enhance connectivity across the continent, it remains poised to capitalize on the immense potential of Africa’s digital economy.

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Telecommunications

Telecom Operators Grapple with Rising Diesel Costs, Spending Hits N50.28 Billion

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As diesel prices continue to soar, Nigeria’s telecom operators are facing mounting challenges with expenditure on fuel hitting N50.28 billion in February.

This represents a 50.20 percent increase from the N33.48 billion spent in the same period last year, reflecting the growing financial burden imposed by escalating fuel costs on the sector.

Diesel serves as a critical component in powering telecom infrastructure, including base stations, which heavily rely on generators due to the country’s unreliable grid electricity.

Industry estimates suggest that operators consume an average of 40 million liters of diesel per month to sustain telecom sites, with prices reaching N1,257.06 per liter in February 2024.

The reliance on diesel for powering essential infrastructure has become increasingly unsustainable, threatening the sector’s operational viability.

Gbenga Adebayo, president of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), emphasized the adverse impact of diesel costs on the industry’s sustainability, noting that infrastructure companies bear the brunt of these expenses.

Adebayo highlighted the urgent need for new pricing regimes to address the widening gap between production costs and current telecom service prices.

While investments in alternative energy sources such as solar power present opportunities for mitigating diesel reliance, challenges such as intermittent supply and vulnerability to theft underscore the complexity of the situation.

The escalating diesel costs have prompted telecom operators to advocate for adjustments in service pricing to ensure the sector’s long-term viability.

As the industry grapples with these challenges, stakeholders are calling for collaborative efforts to address the root causes of the rising fuel expenses and safeguard Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure.

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