Tax authorities have supported the decision to raise the Internet prices. But Internet has not yet risen in cost.
Despite the development of coupling and use of modern technologies, incomes of mobile operators have decreased in recent year that cased to decrease in volume of taxes, the Tax Committee under the Government of Tajikistan notes in connection with appeal by civil society to the Antimonopoly Agency with solicitation to cancel the decision on raising the mobile Internet prices.
According to the findings of survey conducted by tax officers, subscribers have begun using mostly telematics services (Viber, Instagram, Telegram, IMO, Facebook, Twitter and others) that has led to “decrease in the volume of voice communications.”
The volume of taxes from these services (voice communications) have fallen nearly 67 percent over the past three years, while incomes of mobile operators have not decreased over the report period, according to the Tax Committee.
Meanwhile, the volume of telematics services has increased nearly three times over the same three-year period.
Subscribers pay for Internet and used the abovementioned services. Such an order is convenient for mobile operators, because the unit of measure for volume of Internet (megabyte) for control and registration of incomes and expenditures of mobile operators is not precisely determined in the country’s legislation, the Tax Committee says.
Mobile operators, however, are not in hurry to implement the Antimonopoly Agency’s instruction on raising mobile Internet prices.
Recall, the Antimonopoly Agency announced on March 4 that as of March 27, mobile telecommunication services providers will be able to sell online data for no less than 0.05 somoni per megabyte (twofold increase) and the price for one minute of mobile international call, including NGN communications, will amount to no less than 1.20 somoni (tenfold increase).
The March 4 order was justified by a curious interpretation of the law of supply and demand. Rajabali Mahsiddinov, an official with the Antimonopoly Agency, noted that mobile operators would now be in a position to provide better online speeds. According to him, they commit to increase the Interne speed from 512 megabyte per second to 1,024 megabyte per second. “Besides, mobile operators should provide 4G and LTE communications in the whole territory of the country,” Mahsiddinov said.
