Thabiso Nxumalo
Members of Parliament have expressed discontent at the US$50 cell-phone levy charged on all imported cell phone gadgets included in the 2021 National Budget presented by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube.
Speaking at a Harare hotel during the post budget seminar held on November 29, 2021, a follow up to the ZW$927 billion budget presented by Professor Ncube, various MPs expressed distaste on the US$50 cell-phone tax that would be paid by every cell-phone user before they can join any Zimbabwean network.
Movement for Democratic Change-T vice president Thokozani Khupe said Zimbabwe should learn from Rwanda’s zero rating on imported cell-phones as government stands to make more money when people start transacting with those phones.
“Development is not rocket science; it is about copying from other countries. Rwanda imposes zero ratings on cell phones because government collects more money as people start transacting.
“So, we must learn from Rwanda, remove the US$50 levy and allow people to buy phones without that levy,” said Khupe.
Chief’s Council president Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira said the Ministry of Finance should have highlighted the cell-phone levy three weeks back in Victoria Falls during the pre-budget meetings rather than ambushing them with a levy they do not agree with.
“We were in Victoria Falls three weeks ago to make inputs to critical issues on the nation but we are now ambushed with a levy that we did not make an input into.
“I have a problem with my conscience as to what we were doing in Victoria Falls? Yes, I am well aware that there are certain issues that are confidential that the Ministry of Finance can hide from us so that people do not take pre-emptive measures, but this one is not a confidential matter.
“Then the question is what were we doing in the pre-budget seminar?” said Charumbira.
Outspoken Norton legislator Temba Mliswa said in the next parliamentary meeting, the budget should be rejected especially the cell-phone levy issue.
“My advice is simple; we are going to reject this budget in Parliament! Firstly, we are denouncing the issue of the US$50 cell-phone levy,” said Mliswa.
The cell phone levy stipulates that if one imports a cell phone he or she has to pay US$50 and failure mean the phone not connect to any mobile network.
