Ugandan government apply taxes for its citizens who access social media. The tax is set at 200 Ugandan shillings or around Rp 750 per day. The social media access tax rules have been in effect since last May. There are only two legal options for Ugandans, paying social media taxes compliance or getting blocked access to all social media sites and applications, as well as voice call platforms. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni argues this step is done because social media has become a forum for the spread of gossip.
The term gossip called Museveni refers to opinions, presuppositions, and insults intended for government. In a letter to the Ministry of Finance of Uganda, Musaveni mentions that social media taxes can be a source of state taxes while reducing foreign debt. Twelve dollars, Musaveni has the support of Ugandan Minister of Communications and Informatics, Frank Tumwebaze, who said tax money will help the government to invest more in broadband infrastructure. The Ugandan government hopes to earn an extra $ 100 million (about Rp 1.4 trillion) from social media taxes.
Uganda alone has 41 million inhabitants with 17 million of whom are active internet users. Several telecommunication companies have also placed special tax rates on their customers. So the customer has to pay more, that is the internet quota package price plus the social media tax. To Quartz, compiled by KompasTekno, Thursday (5/7/2018), network operators do not need new technology or external assistance to implement a "tax or block" system on "paid" social media services. Although it is easy to implement a "tax or block" system, in fact this policy creates a dilemma for major ISP service providers in Uganda. On the other hand, social media becomes the primary key of consumer of data users. But if they refuse to apply it, then the regulator will impose fines and hard sanctions. As for small ISP providers, it seems not much affected. They simply raise the price of the data quota assuming that everyone will access the site or social media apps at least once a day.
That is, the increase in data rates not only for the use of social media, but the widespread use of the Internet. The flat system is certainly the contrary to Musaveni's statement, which requires a social media tax does not apply to the use of the Internet for educational purposes.
Sued
As a result of this rule, many Ugandans are accessing social media secretly using virtual private networks (VPNs). This is done so that their social-based activities are not tracked by the government. In addition to using illegal means, a handful of them petitioned to voice their disapproval of the imposition of a social media tax. Five inernet users and a technology company have filed lawsuits with a constitutional court. They demanded Uganda's communication commission, the Ugandan tax authorities and the attorney general. Their main demands underscore if social media is the main platform for expressing expression. "Raymond Mujuni, one of Ugandan and local television journalists who filled the petition.
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