OPINION: NATCOM is Not a Tax Collector And Can Therefore Not Sanction a Raise in Data Tariffs
Contrary to what the general public is being misled to believe, the now defunct rise in the data tariffs, had nothing to do with either NATCOM as an entity or the Director General of NATCOM, Mr. Daniel Kaitibie.
Neither of the two ever mandated, instructed, coerced, or sanctioned, a raise in tariffs of data but rather it is a floor price set by the Ministry of Finance Act 2021 as piloted in Parliament by the Finance Ministry and the National Revenue Authority.
And contrary to what the general public is also now being misled to believe, the floor price of Le18 (Old Leones), or 2 new cents, is not a raise but rather a tax and as NATCOM is a Regulatory body not mandated to collect taxes, there is no way NATCOM could get involved in anything connected with tax collection.
And because the said tax has nothing to do with either NATCOM or Mr. Kaitibie, there is no way either could be said to be a fixer which allegation is just the figment of somebody’s wild imagination.
The allegations against innocent NATCOM are unfounded coming from the minds of people who don’t know at all the difference between the said floor price and the actual increase in tariffs.
The hands of NATCOM are clean as far as the now-defunct floor price hike is concerned.
(Ambien)