Is Tax On Internet And Mobile Communication To Be Slapped In Belarus?

The Ministry of Finance is preparing a draft decree on the introduction of a 10% tax on communication services since 1 March.

Tut.by reports that citing informed sources.

According to them, that entails mobile communication services, data transmission services (that is service providers for access to the Internet) and IP-TV.

“This is one of the measures to plug the resulting hole in the budget for this year,” – one of the sources considers.

The two sides believe that mobile operators are to shoulder most of the burden.

“And those, in turn, shuffle off the burden on consumers”, – a market participant said.

A source in state agencies says that “various options are discussed, but they are still in a very raw stage.”

The Finance Ministry declined to comment.

We remind that the budget for 2016 is formed on the basis of oil price of 50 dollars per barrel.The events of January, when the value of “black gold” fell below $ 30 (now - $ 35), forced the Belarusian government to re-plan expenditure and revenue of the state treasury. The Russian government, which budgeted the same $ 50 a barrel in 2016, is planning to sequester it by 10%.