Telecommunications providers welcome President Ali’s announcement on the removal of all taxes for mobile phones

Telecommunications providers ENet, Digicel, and GTT have commended the recent announcement by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali to remove taxes on mobile phones.

According to a joint release issued on Saturday, the agencies welcomed the president’s announcement, adding that it is a significant step towards improving information access and bridging the digital divide in Guyana.

This development means customers can look forward to revised prices reflecting the removal of taxes on all cellular devices.

The removal of taxes is set to ‘transform the communications sector by enabling greater access to pursue educational opportunities, conduct business, and foster personal growth’.

This intervention is a timely one, as Guyana becomes increasingly connected and requires increased access to vital technological resources.

This move will no doubt have positive effects on the country and serves as a progressive step in fostering inclusivity and bridging the digital divide in the telecommunications sector.

Guyana can expect improved educational prospects, expanded economic opportunities, and enhanced communication networks, especially in rural and hinterland communities.

The release stated, ‘‘As telecommunications providers in Guyana, we continue to work assiduously with the government and other stakeholders to facilitate the seamless implementation of this tax exemption. GTT, Digicel, and ENet look forward to continued efforts to promote digital equity, as we build a platform to deliver the best services and solutions for Guyana,’’.

The PPP/C government’s Information and Communications Technology master plan has seen a host of robust interventions and initiatives being implemented to ensure that the sector progresses in an efficient and productive manner.

A mere two months after assuming office in 2020, the government liberalised the sector in a transformative move that provided the impetus for innovation and advanced delivery of services to consumers.

The business community has since blossomed, as ICT-enabled businesses were welcomed to operate locally. A number of Internet Service Providers, Data Centres, Call Centres, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operations have opened their doors in Guyana.

ICT solutions have also been implemented across the public and private sectors.

These include the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) system, which has improved the efficiency of the internal payment management system, the establishment of NIS Online Contribution Checking System to improve accuracy, and the GTT Mobile Money payment system.

Meanwhile, the government continues to ensure the enhancement of the necessary infrastructure to foster a digital transformation, as a number of ICT hubs have been constructed and operationalised in many hinterland and remote areas to expand the use of technology.