In Benin, just three days after it entered into force, the social media tax has been rescinded by the government. The info was announced in a statement published by the government on September 22, 2018.  

The tax abrogation was issued after a meeting between Benin’s president and his communication and finance ministers as well as telecommunication operators’ representatives.

Let’s note that this meeting was subsequent to an unusual mobilization against such tax that tremendously increased data costs so that it was unbearable for most of the residents. Indeed, on social media and even on the streets, many Beninese peacefully opposed the measure. To bypass the tax, the majority used Virtual private networks (VPN) thanks to which the telecommunication operators were unable to detect the use clients were making of their data. That way, users were able to use affordable data bundles to access applications and services targeted by those taxes.

It is worth reminding that in Uganda and Chad, such tax is still a hot topic.

Servan Ahougnon