Cameroon: Government poised to implement controversial phone tax

Despite nationwide disapproval, the government of Cameroon is bent on implementing article 7 of 2019 finance law that talks of taxing users of telephones, tablets and modems in Cameroon.

The implementation goes into effect throughout the national territory from Thursday October 15th 2020.

According to the 2019 finance law, a tax of 33.05% of the cost price of each telephone, tablettes and modems purchased in Cameroon will be deducted through communication credit of the user.

Officials of the ministry of post and telecommunications in Cameroon say users will have two options; that is either to pay the tax all at once or progressively.

In a press conference Tuesday October 13th 2020 in yaounde, the interim general manager of Cameroon custom service stated that the implementing the 2019 financing law by collecting tax for these gadgets is to replace the old system of collecting tax and custom duties at the borders by using modern information and communication technology.

According to Konneth Gaspar Neba “Collecting the tax from users of telephones will definitely eliminate illicit trade and smuggling of such goods that have caused the Cameroon government to lost millions of francs cfa over the years.”

He adds that the objective is equally to secure the quality of telephones used in Cameroon.

Hours to the implementation of the decision, several organizations that defend the rights of consumers in Cameroon have denounce the move, calling on the government to stop.

To many Cameroonians, by imposing the tax on the final users of telephone,government and Cameroon custom department as a whole has accepted failure in collecting taxes from those who import telephones in Cameroon.

Though no group of persons have officially declared intentions to protest against the decision, observers in Cameroon say the government of Cameroon on daily bases provoked Cameroonians by taking decisions that are not beneficial to the majority but a few that include the ruling class and their families.

Mbatho Ntan.