We Deserve Tax-free Internet!!!

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Just before the legislative election we often heard about the easily access internet, free Wi-Fi and digitalization Government etc. news often from different political parties of Nepal. Majority of the Political parties of Nepal mentioned these things in their manifesto as well. Many Nepalese are in the new hope and era to see digitizing and Internet for All Nepal. Suddenly, the federal budget 2075/76 announced to increase the income tax of internet and telecommunication services. The internet charges will be increased to 13 percent and telecommunication charges will be 2 percent effective from July 17, 2018 (1st Shrawan 2075). Telecom operators have started promoting their prices inclusive of all applicable taxes already. Such taxes include VAT and telephone service charge. After this provision, the telecom operator will revise the tariff or costs as per the new service charge.

Biggest Impact
When every nation is trying to tax-free encouragement telecommunication and internet taxes, Nepal Government is doing just opposite and give more burden to the citizen to bare more taxes. Nepal trying it’s every effort to get into the world of digitalization. Though, Government prepared consequently to put Nepal on the list of digitalized Nation. Internet access services have grown rapidly, and the latest Management Information System (MIS) report prepared by Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) shows that internet penetration in the country reached 61.09 percent of the total population till mid-July 2017. Which is a key to their participation in the digital economy and culture. This means we are in the safer road to digital Nepal. The possibility is here, but the sudden announcement of an increased tax on the internet might generate the biggest impact to meet this goal early. The government now has to aspect many challenges in the telecommunication and technology. The recent survey by nepalitelecom.com shows 45 percent people feel Mobile Data is very expensive, this tariff is considered as the highest rate in the South Asia region. And 56.1 percent of Nepalese people use sometimes only OTT apps (like facebook messenger, Whatsapp, Viber) for calling purpose. This clearly shows the majority of Nepalese people rely on telecom voice call. Now onwards with the increase of tax on internet and telecommunication will adversely affect every citizen to access the communication. 
Source: Internet

Technology to Taxes
Today’s the rapid changes in the technology contribute easy access to everything. The country like Nepal is no more far behind in the list to adopt the innovation and changes that seen in technology. Though still there lack many things in the digitalization journey but Nepal is trying its own effort. The government of Nepal now must encourage the ISP or any service provider to increase the betterment of exchange of information culture to every citizen. Sameway, Government must not forget to regulate and inception over ISPs strictly. Government also focused on Net Neutrality. After the hike in the taxes, ISP’s should no more forget to provide an adequate bandwidth of internet for all as per the amount customers pay for it. The governing bodies and NTA (Nepal Telecom Authority) must think on such issues very neutrally. It’s generic to adopt the things suddenly in the country like Nepal, it takes time to regulate the internet ecosystem. Government and NTA should open the common ground to solve down those issues and regulate the framework. At least government must be aware of the Internet governance, policy and stopped the trend of renewing the policy only after consequence.
Every single penny counts a lot and every citizen deserves the fastest, reliable and affordable communication culture after they subscribe to the internet and telecommunication services. We should protect and raise our voices frequently for the unnecessary Internet taxes.

Internet for All
Last month on June 2018 the cabinet meeting of Nepal Government decided to give MacBook Air as the laptop to all the minister and use the internet access to sync, schedule and proposed the ministerial meeting in future with more reliable and paper free. This is an absolutely remarkable milestone to continue the digital journey. Just like minister every citizen at least deserve reliable and fastest internet with tax-free. The internet is a pervasive, fundamental part of daily life of every citizen that continues to deliver massive economic and social benefits around the country. Today’s internet is considered as the basic needs of human beings. From boosting the livelihoods, promoting financial activities, improving access to health, education and government services and more, the Internet is a key role part of every citizen. At this moment especially Nepalese citizen seek Internet access to be in their peripheral.

Importantly, the internet is also the fundamental enabler of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Nepal is far more behind to cope with the industrial revolution at this moment. Nepal only can contribute small effort to the enabled by the Fourth Industrial Revolution which is likely to reshape the global economy, creating immense opportunities for those able to develop them. This could be positive digitally contribution to the world economy. Internet for all is the next revolution to the country like Nepal to make every citizen more educated. When citizens are directly or indirectly connected over the internet it’s very easy to access the source of information. Government can quickly implement every plans, guidelines or any information hands to hands within a short span of time. Nepal is the geographically challenging nation. When such countries enable the cheap internet and communication access as the Right to Information (RTI) this will be more beneficial to move forward.

To sum up, much progress has been made in the digital divide, though the challenge remains huge, complex and multidimensional. Everyone has right to access internet without any circumstances and if possible with tax-free. Same here, in Nepal majorly, public or bunch of ITs Think Tank should raise the voices in this regard to expect the internet tax-free nation. Every voice is very crucial to saving the internet and internet for all.

                     Originally, this article was published on The Rising Nepal

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