As the Jordan government continues to look for measures to increase revenues from the telecom sector, one option that has come to light is imposing fees on using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services such as Skype, Viber or WhatsApp, as reported by The Jordan Times.
If a fee is imposed on this service, it will range from JD1 to JD2 per month, according to Nader Dhneibat, secretary general of the ICT Ministry, and it will only be on making calls, not messaging. Another scenario that is being studied is imposing JD1 as a monthly deduction from postpaid lines. However, Dhneibat clarified that the ministry is 'still looking into the scenarios and will take the interest of all stakeholders into account',
"Our objective is to support the treasury while at the same time not to affect users or harm investments by telcos in the sector,” added Dhneibat.
Jordan’s telecom sector is already one of the most highly taxed in the region, with a 24% tax on mobile subscriptions, and a 16% special tax on the purchase of mobile phones.
Consumers have since then expressed their opposition to increased charges through various social media.
Source: http://www.commsmea.com/16897-plans-to-levy-more-taxes-on-the-already-over-taxed-jordan/