Aine Siggy
Ugandans have cried to government to keep OTT instead of the 12% Data tax that has replaced OTT.
OTT was introduced and imposed on every Ugandan apart from Members of Parliament that use the internet in 2018. It was passed by Members of MPS by then who were led by the Speaker of Parliament RT Hon Rebecca Kadaga.
However, some MPS from the opposition political party didn’t agree with it and requested the government to remove the OTT.
Stubborn Ugandans denied using OTT and resumed to an app that is known as VPN which helps them to access internet without paying OTT and that’s why the government decided to rather increase the data cost by 12% and remove OTT.
Ugandans like Frank Gashumba, and different artists like Kabako, John Black, and many others who appeared in the media asked government to completely stop taxing data or else bring back OTT because it is more cheap and not compulsory after all Ugandans have been used to VPN.
“’StopoppressiveDataTax ‘is the harshtag used by Frank Gashumba.”
“Government should for sure stop taxing data because 12% is a lot. We artists now earn from internet if they tax data this much how many Ugandans will afford it and how will we earn. Me I think they should rather bring back OTT than this 12% data tax.” John Black said.
Artists claimed that they no longer work and the only money they are earning is from the internet like Youtube and other platforms.
It should be noted that the 12%Data Tax started on 1st July at the beginning of 2021-22 financial year.
