African Governments Urged to Treat Telecoms as Core Economic Pillar, Cut Taxes to Boost Digital Inclusion
African governments have been called upon to recognise telecommunications as a core economic pillar and to implement tax reforms that could dramatically accelerate digital inclusion across the continent. Speaking at the first edition of the États Généraux du Secteur des Postes..
✨ Key Highlights
African governments are urged to elevate telecommunications to a core economic pillar and reduce taxes to enhance digital inclusion across the continent.
- The mobile sector contributed US$220 billion to Africa's economy in 2024, yet nearly 75% of people remain offline.
- Mr. Daddy Mukadi, Airtel Africa Chief Regulatory Officer and Chair of GSMA’s Africa Policy Group, is advocating for these changes.
- Key proposals include a two-to-three-year exemption on import duties for entry-level smartphones priced between US$40 and US$150.
Continue Reading
Read the complete article from Tech Arena
Part of the Day's Coverage
Kenya eCitizen Platform to Implement Tiered Fee Structure Doubling Maximum Charge - May 2026
Kenya's Treasury is proposing a new tiered structure for the eCitizen convenience fee, potentially doubling the maximum charge from KES 50 to KES 100, aiming to replace the flat fee that was previously struck down by the courts. This change comes as Kenya prepares to retire physical motor vehicle logbooks on June 10, 2026, with the launch of the digital eLogbook on the eCitizen platform. Separately, Mastercard has partnered with Yellow Card to boost the adoption of stablecoin payments across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA). Further, African governments are urged to elevate telecommunications to a core economic pillar and reduce taxes to enhance digital inclusion across the continent.
