Leader of the People Power pressure group, Hon Robert Kyagulanyi has urged government to suspend social media and mobile money taxes for the next 30 days.
Speaking during today’s session at Parliament, the Presidential hopeful said social media is very key at this moment of Coronavirus scare because it is an easy platform where the public can access information.
On banning mobile money tax, he said paper money can act as a very quick transmitter of Coronavirus, arguing that removal of the tax will act as a very good precaution.
It should be remembered that Bobi Wine has been a stern oppose of both the social media tax (OTT) and mobile money tax, and he still has pending charges of holding an illegal demonstration for one he held after the introduction of the taxes in 2018.
His demonstration coupled with public outcry led the government to revise the mobile money tax, and reduced it from 1% of both sending and withdrawal transactions, to 0.5% of only the withdrawn amount via mobile money.
MPs want the Ministry of Health to increase on their sensitization and awareness campaigns across the country.
However, the legislators are concerned about Ugandans who have lost jobs following the various bans as they asked for government’s plans for such people.
Minister for Finance Matia Kasaija said government has only preliminary estimates from the Health Ministry indicating a financing requirement of Shs25 billion to deal with health challenges caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.