FG plan to impose 10% tax on every phone calls made, text message sent

Rather than impose the tax on Nigerians, the group advised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federation Government to immediately roll out social protection programmes to alleviate the effect of harsh economy on the masses.


SERAP said this on Sunday in an open letter to the Federal Government by its Senior Staff counsel, Timothy Adewale.

The letter read partly, “SERAP calls on President Buhari to immediately drop the proposed 10 per cent tax on phone calls, text messages, data and more, as this would disproportionately affect the socially and economically-vulnerable and push them deeper into poverty and deprivation.

“Increased poverty and the hunger that it brings will threaten the right to life and health of many socially and economically-vulnerable, including women and children. These groups of people are bearing the brunt and feeling the impacts of the economic crisis on their standards of living, their jobs and their homes.

“We urge President Buhari to immediately provide economic stimulus packages that are focused on limiting the worst human consequences of the crisis, and give priority attention to the most vulnerable and marginalised in the distribution of resources.”

The group also urged Buhari to put pressure on the National Assembly to trim down its budget spending, which it noted was N115bn in 2016.