UTAFITI WA @Twaweza_NiSisi : 83% ya watu hawaikubali kodi ya sh 1,000 kwa mwezi kwa kila laini ya simu #NoSimCardTax

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 Mnamo tarehe 25 Juni, 2013, bajeti ya Serikali ya mwaka wa fedha wa 2013/2014 ilipitishwa Bungeni.

Siku chache baada ya kupitishwa kwa bajeti, ilionekana kuwa Serikali ilikuwa imeanzisha tozo ya kila mwezi ya TZS 1,000 kwa kila kadi ya simu ya mkononi (Sim card). Jambo la kushangaza lilikuwa, wabunge pamoja na wananchi wa kawaida waliokuwa wakifuatilia hotuba ya bajeti walidai kuwa kodi hiyo, iliyojulikana kama “Kodi ya Kadi ya SIM”, haikujadiliwa Bungeni. Ili lilizua mjadala wa kitaifa miongoni

mwa wabunge wenyewe, makampuni ya simu, vyombo vya habari, wataalamu na wananchi kwa ujumla.

Muhtasari huu unatoa matokeo mapya kuhusiana na mdahalo wa Kodi ya SIM yanatokana na awamu ya tano ya utafiti wa Sauti za Wananchi, ambao ni utafiti wa kwanza wa kitaifa barani Afrika unaokusanya takwimu kwa njia ya simu za mkononi. 

Matokeo muhimu ya utafiti huu yalikuwa:

Watanzania walio wengi wana fursa ya kutumia simu za mkononi

Ingawa umiliki wa simu za mkononi uko kwa wingi zaidi katika maeneo ya mijini na hasa kwenye kaya tajiri zaidi, robo tatu ya wakazi wa vijijini walionekana wakiishi katika kaya ambazo walau mwanakaya mmoja alikuwa anamiliki simu ya mkononi. Zaidi ya nusu (52%) ya kaya maskini zilionekana kuwa na walau simu moja.

Kiasi cha tozo cha kodi ni sawa na matumizi ya muda wa hewani ya wiki moja katika kaya maskini

Kwa mujibu wa utafiti huu, kwa wastani, kaya maskini zilionekana zaidi kutumia TZS 3,154 kwa mwezi kwa ajili ya matumizi ya muda wa hewani.  Hii ina maana kuwa walikuwa wanatumia chini ya kiasi cha tozo ya Kodi ya SIM ya TZS 1,000 kwa wiki. Tofauti na kaya maskini, asilimia 10 za kaya tajiri zilionekana kutumia kwa wastani kiasi cha TZS 45,236 kununua muda wa hewani kila mwezi.

Chini ya nusu ya Watanzania wanafahamu kuhusu Kodi ya SIM

Kitaifa, asilimia 46 tu ya wananchi walioonekana kujua kuhusu Kodi ya SIM. Mijini, watu wengi zaidi (55%) walijua kuhusu kodi hiyo. Uelewa wa wananchi wa vijijini kuhusu kodi hii ilikuwa 41% tu.

Watu wengi hawaikubali Kodi ya SIM

Idadi kubwa zaidi, ya 83% katika makundi yote ya vipato, ilionyesha kutokukubaliana na Kodi ya SIM. Miongoni mwa kaya maskini zaidi 71% haikukubaliana na kodi hii. Upinzani mkali zaidi ulitoka kwenye kaya zilizokuwa na kipato bora zaidi, ambapo 86% ya wananchi wanaipinga kodi hiyo.

Kusoma Muhtasari na Taarifa kwa Umma: www.twaweza.org

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As debate continues about a recently introduced tax on all SIM cards in Tanzania, Sauti za Wananchi contributes the most recent nationally representative data on the issue.

On 25 June, 2013, the National Assembly approved the government budget for 2013/2014.

A few days after the approval of the budget, it became clear that the government had imposed a once-a-month levy of TZS 1,000 for every SIM card. Surprisingly, Members of Parliament and ordinary citizens who were following up the budget speech claimed that the levy, subsequently dubbed the “SIM Card Tax”, was not discussed in Parliament. It led to a national debate among citizens, mobile phone operators, media houses, technocrats and Members of Parliament.

Sauti za Wananchi sought citizens' views on the issue.

The main findings are:

Most Tanzanians have access to a mobile phone

Although mobile phone ownership is concentrated in urban areas and in richer households, three-quarters of rural residents live in a household in which at least one member owns a mobile phone. Just over half (52%) of the poorest households also have one phone.

The tax amount is equivalent to one week worth of airtime for the poorest households

On average, the poorest 10% of households spend TZS 3,154 per month on airtime. This means that they spend less than the SIM Card Tax of TZS 1,000 per week. In contrast, the richest 10% of households spend TZS 45,236 on airtime per month.

Less than half of Tanzanians are aware of the SIM Card Tax

Nationally, 46% of citizens are aware of the SIM Card Tax. In urban areas more people know about the tax (55%) while rural areas, there is significantly lower awareness (41% of rural citizens know about the tax).

Most people disagree with the SIM Card Tax

Across all income groups, large majorities, 83% on average, disagree with the SIM Card Tax. Surprisingly, among the poorest households a relatively lower proportion (71%) disagree with the SIM card tax. The strongest objection comes from better-off households, where 86% citizens disagree with the tax.

To read the policy brief and press release: www.twaweza.org