DUSHANBE, February 3, 2011, Asia-Plus — Though mobile phone operators’ decision to raise fees for their services in connection with imposition of excise tax on the cellular communications services in the country is quite legal, I consider it immoral, the Communist Party member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), Ismoil Talbakov, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
In his opinion, this decision will lead to decrease in the number of mobile phone users in Tajikistan. “Purses of mobile phone users are not dimensionless,” said Talbakov, “Besides, food product prices have risen sharply.”
“Mobile companies have a huge annual profit and they could pay the excise tax imposed on the cellular communications services due to their total gain, without raising fees for their services,” MP stressed.
We will recall that the law requiring amendments to the country’s Tax Code that went into effect on January 6 this year provides for putting the cellular communications services on the list of commodities subject to excise tax. The law also provides for the excise tax at the rate of 3 percent of the cost of the cellular communications services.
Following imposition of excise tax on cellular communications services, mobile phone operators in Tajikistan raised fees for their services by 3 percent starting on February 1.
