Very few Cameroonians have been left indifferent to the country’s new phone tax set to go operational on Thursday, October 15.
Several celebrities have also joined calls for government to end the tax.
Reniss, singer at New Bell music was among the first to voice out her discontent.
“Phone tax? And what about students? so they will also pay the phone tax? Really? Our mothers in the food market do use phones to run their businesses. Some of our mothers have good phones because their kids bought them overseas. Wah #EndPhoneTax,” she tweeted.
Moments later, others followed suit. Blanche Bailey in a series of tweets said: “What did I just read ? Phone tax? This must be a joke right.”
To her counterpart, Ewube, “A direct tax on items bought in the country is senseless.”
“… You can’t punish consumers for the acts of the supplier. Who gave phone suppliers authority to clear their stuff without having paid the required tax? So at the end it’s neither suppliers fault nor the consumer!” She stated.
The phone tax was introduced in the 2019 tax law and is set to be implemented from Thursday. Despite public outcry, government remains mute and is pushing through with the plans.
Post and Telecommunications minister, Minette Libom days back said nothing much had changed and that it simply signified a digitisation of the revenue collection process. This has however not stopped the calls, as many don’t seem to believe her.
Mimi Mefo Info
