The anticipated excise levy on telecommunication services, according to the ministry of communications, has been suspended. The proposed new tax on phone calls and other telecommunications services has been put on hold by the federal government. Isa Pantami, the minister of communication and the digital economy, made this official on Monday. He said that the anticipated excise levy on telecom services had been postponed.
Mr. Pantami addressed the Presidential Committee on Excise Duty for the Digital Economy Sector’s inaugural meeting in Abuja.
He claimed that the industry was already overtaxed due to heavy and frequent taxes. The federal government had previously declared that the proposed excise taxes on telecommunications and drinking services will start to take effect in 2023. According to Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, budget, and national planning, the government was getting ready to impose a 5% excise tax on telecommunications services, bringing the overall tax rate on phone services to 12.5%. The sector now has a 7.5% service margin. Mr. Pantami, however, was against the new tax since it would raise the price of telecommunications services in the nation.
He criticized the timing of the initiative and claimed that the ministry was not contacted.
