Telecoms companies receive notice to pay about $180m a year to Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo has ordered mobile phone companies operating in the African nation to pay a levy estimated at about $180-million a year, people with knowledge of the matter said.
The operators including Orange, Vodacom Group, Airtel Africa and Africell Holding received invoices sent by the regulator through a consultancy, 5C Energy, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. The amount is based on the invoice the firms received for a seven-week period, they said.
Years of corruption and mismanagement has left government finances in Congo, one of the world’s biggest producers of copper and the main source of cobalt, in shambles. That’s prompted President Felix Tshisekedi’s government to find ways to broaden its tax base and boost its revenue.
Congo’s four mobile carriers -- “Africell, Airtel, Orange and Vodacom -- have been invoiced various amounts by the regulator following the introduction of levies,” the Federation Des Entreprises Du Congo, the main business association, said. “As things stand, all the carriers in the DRC have rejected these invoices as irregular and therefore unenforceable.”
The industry body said it wants to continue talks with the government and regulator to avoid raising prices.
The additional fee includes an amount charged on every voice minute, message, and megabyte of data used by customers, said the people. The levy cannot be passed onto users, they said.
Vodacom could not immediately comment on the matter, while Airtel and Orange declined to comment. Several calls, emails and messages to the Congo government, and 5C Energy remained unanswered.
Congo last year dropped a plan to tax mobile operators, following opposition from the public as it could lead higher costs.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Complete range of security sealing solutions including security seals bags and labels.
VISIT SHOWROOM
FLANDERS Southern Africa provides integrated solutions for mining and industrial operations, covering field services, automation, electrification,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
