Would you like to pay for WhatsApp calls? Marches and demonstrations in Lebanon forced to cancel an invoice

As part of an austerity project, the government of Lebanon a measure to charge users for charges for calls with VoIP services, such as WhatsApp and Skype, among others.

As Mohamed Choucair, Minister of Telecommunications in Lebanon, explains, operator revenues have fallen sharply due to the use of applications for messages and calls. In this country, two state-owned companies, Alpha and Touch, operate and constitute the second largest source of revenue for the government after tax collection.

Tax applications

Specifically, they sought to receive a daily rate of 20 cents by using this feature on digital platforms, which translates into $ 6 a month. According to estimates, if this assessment were made, the Lebanese administration would get about $ 250 million a year from 3.5 million users.

The authorities of this Middle East country found in this plan a means of reduce the deficit ahead of the 2020 budget. Lebanon has a debt of about 86,000 million dollars, which represents more than 150% of its GDP.

Protests and setbacks

When disclosing the intention to collect a flat tax for VoIP Callsprotesters took to the streets to protest against the Lebanese government's plans.

Although the austerity project was announced previously, the intention to tax this activity of applications has generated an epidemic that has materialized in cities, including the capital Beirut, this Thursday, October 17th. .

After the protests, the Lebanese government issued a statement in which it was announced that it would repeal this law and that it would not be applied in the meantime. Minister Choucair himself has reported the reverse on his official Twitter account.

Previously, African countries such as Zambia and Uganda applied similar measures.