Zimbabwe taxes mobile phones, call time to boost state coffers

[Wireless News]

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/xhmPdmg__gZB7z26sJk8xA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3B4b2ZmPTUwO3B5b2 ZmPTA7cT03NTt3PTEzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_ZA/News/Reuters/2014-09-12T063254Z_1007950001_LYNXMPEA8B07S_RTROPTP_2_OZAB S-UK-ZIMBABWE-ECONOMY.JPG (http://news.yahoo.com/zimbabwe-taxes-mobile-phones-call-time-boost-state-063254463.html)Zimbabwe's finance minister announced taxes on mobile phones and on the charges for using them on Thursday and raised the levy on fuel in an increasingly desperate bid to boost state revenues in the face of stagnating domestic growth. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said economic growth would be dragged down by weaker performances in the mining, tourism and manufacturing sectors, although he kept his 2014 forecast at 3.1 percent. The southern African country's economy has been squeezed by a lack of foreign investment, power shortages and company closures, all of which has hurt government finances. To raise more funds for a government that spends more than 70 percent of its budget on salaries, Chinamasa said the state would impose a 5 percent levy on making mobile phone voice calls and sending data.



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