(Ecofin Agency) - In Côte d’Ivoire, fees on mobile money transactions have increased by 7.2%. Mobile money operators are thus passing the 7.2% tax imposed on their turnover by the 2019 fiscal appendix onto their end-clients.

This increase in fee occurs a month after the fiscal appendix entered into force (January 1, 2019).  

Competent authorities denounced the passing of this tax onto the end-client.

“Article 14 of the 2019 fiscal appendix levies no new tax on money transfers at the consumers’ expenses. In fact, these taxes, which were already in the tax arrangement, are levied exclusively on mobile money transfer firms, not on the clients,” indicated Ouattara Sié Abou, director general of the tax authority.

The official explained that it was unlawful to pass the tax onto users and doing it was “a misuse of the sense and character of the fiscal law,” Obviously, mobile money operators have not taken this statement into account.

Aaron Akinocho