The social media tax is beginning to bite hard starting with the group that passed it.
Members of Parliament on Thursday reminded the house that the Parliamentary Commission has not paid Over the Top (OTT) tax for the last one month.
The OTT tax was passed by parliament in July 2018 despite spirited opposition from political activists and civil society organisations.
On Thursday, Obongi county legislator Hassan Kaps Fungaro informed parliament that many MPs were unable to fully utilise their iPads because the parliamentary commission has not paid OTT tax.
Fungaro said that many MPs are not able to access social media platforms like Twitter and WhatsApp to respond to messages from their constituents. Fungaro said that the iPads, purchased by parliament to enable them conduct government work, had become almost useless to the MPs.
Manjiya County MP John Baptist Nambeshe said that MPs only realised that that the parliamentary commission had failed to clear the OTT tax with Uganda Revene Authority after they could not use some applications on their iPads.
Nambeshe argued that the social media tax ought to be suspended.
To access social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and blogs, a Ugandan has to pay 200/- per day or 6,000/- per month.
Fungaro also revealed that MPs social media accounts are at increased risk with hackers trying to crack their passwords.
Meanwhile Buhweju county MP Francis Mwijukye informed the house that unknown people are trailing him and he lives in fear for his life. Mwijukye's concern comes barely a day after Bukonzo county MP Willam Nzoghu shared with parliament that he has received death threats.
