Uganda imposes WhatsApp and Facebook tax 'to stop gossip'

The revenue raised is also intended to help pay off of the country's growing national debt. /AGENCIES
The revenue raised is also intended to help pay off of the country's growing national debt. /AGENCIES

Uganda's parliament has passed a law to impose a controversial tax on people using social media platforms.

It imposes a 200 shilling [$0.05, £0.04] daily levy on people using internet messaging platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber and Twitter.

President Yoweri Museveni had pushed for the changes, arguing that social media encouraged gossip.

The law should come into effect on 1 July but there remain doubts about how it will be implemented.

The new Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill will also impose various other taxes, including a 1% levy on the total value of mobile money transactions - which civil society groups complain will affect poorer Ugandans who rarely use banking services.

State Minister for Finance David Bahati told parliament that the tax increases were needed to help Uganda pay off its growing national debt.

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