Good morning steemians, Uganda’s new tax on social media access limits basic rights and harms business, according to a petition filed by activists to the constitutional court against a levy that civic groups and opposition parties say is onerous.
For those who didn't know, Ugandans pay 200 shillings ($0.0517) per day to access Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, Skype and other phone apps under the tax introduced on Sunday. The government says the revenue will help fund energy, transport and other projects.
The tax is unconstitutional, according to Daniel Bill Opio, a lawyer who filed the petition with the Kampala-based Cyber Law Initiative non-profit and others. “Youths are taking on initiatives toward innovation and technology mostly using these … platforms,” he said. “Once you introduce a tax … you are actually killing this budding entrepreneurship.”
Ugandans woul'dnt mind being taxed this social media tax but we've seen the president many times throwing away our money to members of parliament and giving envelops to his party people as if it was his money. We are tired of being taken for granted,. There is no president in the hospital and yet MPs were bribed with tax payer money.
Social media tax is yet another clear evidence of how hopeless OUR President regime has become!
You cannot lose cite of the fact that Uganda economy receives so much through social media, that many of our people survival is dependent on social media. Our president has failed to collect tax on goods that enter into our country illegally, un licensed businesses and the licensed which are under-declaring earnings,
Thanks to those who raised their voices.
One of our mp came through and added a voice to the struggle against the unfair taxation. The police fought so hard to arrest them but the power of the people overpowered them. There's a lot of bullets, teargas around the city.
Some of people have been beaten up and others arrested. They must be freed for they have nothing against the police but rather the terrible tax.
Are they safe now?
They arrested them for protesting.
Tax for using social media???That is too much.
Yeah they have exceeded th limit.
Man that tax must go forsure @jordanlove. Must be kicks of a dying horse though(Sevo's regime).
Say no to social media tax