I wonder whether Punjab is not a part of Pakistan. If the federal government had decided to provide relief to mobile users in pursuit of a national digitisation strategy, shouldn’t Punjab, the country’s biggest province, follow suit?
The budget presented by the province still shows that mobile users are to be taxed at an exorbitant 19.5%. This means people of the province will pay 3.5% more tax for calls, SMS and mobile internet in comparison to those residing in the federal capital. It seems that the provincial government is against the vision of Digital Pakistan and is alienating the common man by limiting their access to basic mobile services. It is imperative to understand that a reduction in tax rates will not only provide an opportunity for users to these services more but will also increase the adoption of telecom services particularly mobile internet services in rural areas of the province.
I think it is about time that the provincial government follows the example set forth by the center and at least adopts a uniform service tax at 16%, as per the federal budget. I plead to the authorities to rethink their decision or be left behind in the race for an inclusive digital ecosystem.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2021.
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