The Nigerian Communications Fee has referred to as on states and native governments throughout the nation to cut back taxes on telecom corporations, saying extreme taxes could be counterproductive to the expansion of the trade.
The federal authorities mentioned in its medium-term expenditure framework and funds technique doc for the interval 2024-2026 that it will introduce a 5 p.c excise tax on telecommunications companies to spice up its income base.
The Govt Vice Chairman of NCC, Aminu Maida, lamented that with between 50 and 55 p.c taxes already imposed on telecom operators, it will be tough to draw international funding within the sector, according to President Bola Tinubu's directive to the Commision.
In response to Maida, the NCC administration has determined to launch a nationwide advocacy effort to attraction to state and native governments and different stakeholders on the necessity to cut back the levies they’ve imposed, particularly the Proper of Method levies and different a number of taxes .
Maida made the remarks on Tuesday on the Digital Economic system Complicated, Mbora, Abuja, throughout an interactive session with journalists in Abuja.
He mentioned: “We're going to have an advocacy marketing campaign to see how we will persuade the states to take away a few of these limitations, like right-of-way and a number of taxes, as a result of I've seen some research that point out that the tax burden is nearly is 50 p.c. In some areas of this nation this may be as excessive as 55 p.c.
“You agree with me that if we try to draw international funding, that’s not a superb image to color.”
He referred to as on states to think about the long-term advantages that may accrue to them in the event that they allowed huge investments within the sector as employment could be created within the sector alongside different worth chains.
He additionally disclosed that the dispute between the 2 telecom giants, MTN Nigeria and Globacom Community, can be resolved amicably as soon as the fee is extra excited about guaranteeing a degree taking part in subject for all stakeholders.
He mentioned the committee has developed a strategic imaginative and prescient primarily based on 5 pillars to spice up the telecom sector and make sure that it continues to contribute to the nation's gross home product as anticipated.
Acknowledging the challenges associated to the standard of companies supplied by cellular community operators and web service suppliers, he mentioned the fee would undertake “a complete client expertise” to handle the challenges.
He additionally suggested shoppers complaining of information depletion to look inward as many of the points had been associated to the sorts of handsets they use together with the companies obtainable and the digital companies they loved, with out contemplating the associated fee implications.
Wada added: “So our strategy can be to work on the expectations of those stakeholders, and for me every part begins with the buyer, and the buyer expectation could be very easy: the standard of service.
“I don't assume you may say greater than that. High quality of service and this high quality of service, we're speaking a few whole client expertise, not nearly dropped calls or I can't name.
“There’s a whole high quality of expertise, from the way to discover and choose the fitting community to make use of, the way to onboard that community, speaking concerning the SIM registration course of, the method of linking your SIM to your NIN and naturally after you go for those who use all of it, how simple can you choose a fee, how clear is the speed, how are you supported by your complete host, how do you onboard the community, these are essential.
