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Uganda Defends Introduction of Social-Media Tax After Outcry

  • Users of Facebook, Twitter among those facing daily levy
  • Finance minister says income will fund public services
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Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

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Ugandan authorities defended the introduction of a tax on users of social-media such as Facebook and Twitter, saying the revenue is necessary to fund public services.

The daily levy equivalent to about 5 U.S. cents is “a small contribution of citizens towards development of their country,” Minister of State for Finance David Bahati was quoted by the state-run Uganda Media Centre as saying on Tuesday.