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Tax on mobile phones planned
01.04.08
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MOBILE phone owners
will soon have to pay an annual phone tax of between
€20 and €50 or risk having their service withdrawn,
it emerged yesterday.
The controversial plan has been developed in an
effort to help cash strapped councils across the
country raise extra revenue and stop them from
continuously seeking extra cash from the government. |
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While the government
seems to have ruled out moves like the proposal by
Donegal County Council to tax holiday homes, it is
understood they have fully backed this idea as a
major money-spinner for local councils.
The government official behind the plan, Joe King of
the Telecommunications Department, said the move
will raise thousands of euro in extra revenue for
councils all over the country. |
“It’s a brilliant plan
and when you realise there are more mobile phones
than there are people in Ireland now, it’s going to
raise a fortune,” he said.
And he maintained that since phone users were among
the biggest users of council services, it was only
right that they pay their way.
In recent years a government tax was imposed on
credit cards, which is taken at source in the
billing process and it is believed the scheme to tax
mobile phone users will work in a similar way. |
“We understand there
are different types of phones and some people have
bill pay phones and some people have pay as you go
phones, so we’re working with an Asian mobile
technology expert to come up with a system to ensure
than everyone pays.”
That expert - We Fu You – is expected to propose the
collection of the tax on the bills of those with
contracts, while those on pay as you go will see
their payment made by having their credit eaten
until they have paid their full amount. |
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However the consumer
watchdogs have already been alerted to the proposal
and are expected to oppose the move.
Their spokesperson - Shirley Ujest - says the
proposal will meet with strong resistance.
“This will get a bad reception from whole networks
of people we know and while it might seem like a
good idea because these people all have phones, the
government should remember most of them have votes
too!”
The lobby group meanwhile insists that even if this
plan was devised by Joe King, the real problem lies
at the head of the department where they have been
seeking change for several months.
“We have been lobbying for this change for ages and
we really need the foresight at the top of someone
like Sarah Notherway instead of that one track
approach always adopted by Ann Orbill.” (Tall story:
Inishowen Independent) |
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