Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Benin Becomes the Latest African Nation Taxing the Internet; Citizens and Advocates Denounce the Move (qz.com)

Posted by msmash on from the world-dispatch dept.

Benin has joined a growing list of African states imposing levies for using the internet. From a report: The government passed a decree in late August taxing its citizens for accessing the internet and social-media apps. The directive, first proposed in July, institutes a fee of 5 CFA francs ($0.008) per megabyte consumed through services like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. It also introduces a 5% fee, on top of taxes, on texting and calls, according to advocacy group Internet Sans Frontieres (ISF). The new law has been denounced, with citizens and advocates using the hashtag #Taxepamesmo ("Don't tax my megabytes") to call on officials to cancel the levy. The increased fees will not only burden the poorest consumers and widen the digital divide, but they will also be "disastrous" for the nation's nascent digital economy, says ISF's executive director Julie Owono. A petition against the levy on Change.org has garnered nearly 7,100 signatures since it was created seven days ago.

8 of 32 comments (clear)

  1. Well... by no-body · · Score: 1

    Let's see how this idea spreads... I see $-images in eyes blinking, and heart rates increasing.

  2. 7,100 Signatures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    In seven days. That's a thousand a day, while Benin has a population of about ten million. Doesn't sound like there's much of a problem.

  3. why bother? by AndyKron · · Score: 2

    I'm sure the officials of what-the-fuck really care who signs Change.org petition.

  4. Same everywhere I guess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    In France too there are taxes (other than usual taxes) that are specially devoted to ISP.
    This was supposed to help the movie/music makers or public TV.

    There were even more (per gb) taxes planned which would have funded (public) fiber networks but there were abandonned (until now)

  5. Re:Pithy subject line here by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    but, you know, taxing communications services like telephone service is a thing in "developed" countries too. Like the US, for one.

    ...at a rate equivalent in impact to around $0.2 per MB?

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  6. You're taxed on it in the US too by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 2

    Drill down into your telecommunications bills (Verizon, AT&T, etc) and you'll see a laundry list of regulatory taxes and fees.

  7. That's $9.11 per gigabyte by Target+Drone · · Score: 1

    Looks like 5 Francs is actually $0.0089 USD. This works out to $9.11 per gigabyte. Ouch! Better stay away from any video streaming.

  8. DON'T think it can't happen everywhere by p51d007 · · Score: 1

    Surprised the U.N. hasn't mandated every nation do this, and send the funds to them, to be re-distributed (while the higher up's keep 99% for themselves of course, as "administration fees")