Telecoms companies fault CBN governor’s 3 minutes call tax

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has described CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele’s  suggestion of  three-minutes’ call surcharge on telecommunications consumers as economically wrong .

ATCON President, Mr Olusola Teniola, told newsmen in Lagos on Saturday that the proposal was technically and economically wrong.

It may be recalled that Emefiele had suggested that government should impose taxes on phone conversations that lasted more than three minutes as an alternative source of revenue for it.

Emefiele suggested this option during the 2016 Annual Bankers’ Dinner organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

He also suggested the introduction tax on properties as a way of increasing revenue for the government.

Teniola said that the stakeholders in the telecommunications industry were not consulted on the issue before the pronouncement.

“Contrary to the CBN governor’s believe, it is the poor people who make more calls than the rich.

“So, the proposal is not targeted at the middle or higher class.

“I have not seen any industry where you don’t want people to use your products or services more.

“We want people to be speaking longer,’’ he said.