Pakistani internet companies and bloggers decided to blackout their websites protesting against the recently imposed taxes by the Punjab Government on internet services on June 8th,2015. As per a joint statement issued by digital publishers of Pakistan at a press conference in Lahore. Punjab government – through an SRO – imposed this week a whopping 19.5% tax on all kinds of internet usage for those with above or Rs. 1,500 monthly bills or above or 2Mbps broadband speeds. This tax on the internet services is imposed on all kinds of internet services in Punjab including DSL, 3G,EVDO, 4G, fiber etc. Other provinces and centre (Islamabad) are likely to follow the suite. Digital publishers, who have support from cellular mobile operators, banks, consumer associations, PASHA and ISPAK along with civil society, said that the country’s top websites are already running black home-screens in protest against taxes on internet.This country-wide internet blackout campaign is likely to be supported and acted upon by thousands of Pakistani websites and bloggers who have demanded immediate withdrawal of taxes on internet.
This tax by the Punjab Government on internet is going to hamper the current 3G/4G uptake that has reached 15 million subscriptions in just one year of 3G/4G launch, According to a joint statement from digital publishers. Pakistan auctioned 3G and 4G licenses last year After several delays and telecom operators invested $1.1 billion on spectrum auction only. Pakistan is probably going to be the only country which delays technological improvements and keep the public from getting advantage from the advanced and even easily available technology. Several hundred million dollars were also spent on network up-gradation, however, telecom operators – in a joint statement earlier this week – said that their future investments on network roll out and upcoming spectrum auction is conditional with reversal of this tax. With Reference PLUM research on Pakistan. Punjab is likely to collect around Rs. 3 billion in taxes from the sector this year, however, corresponding negative growth on internet uptake due to these taxes will cause the national economy an estimated loss of Rs. 100 to Rs. 200 billion in five years.
Studies show that 10 percent uptake in broadband subscriptions increases national GDP by 1.5% and slowness of internet uptake due to these taxes is only going to harm the already struggling economy of Pakistan. Punjab government is fooling the youth by on one hand making efforts for digitization of the province through several initiatives from PITB and the laptop schemes for the students to help them in education, while on the other hand it is imposing taxes on internet to stop the youth from academic growth. New imposition of taxes is totally going to stop Pakistan to excel in the fields of e-education, e-health and e-banking sectors, the government is going to block the development in Pakistan, Today is the era and age of internet and out government is trying to pull us back from going ahead. If we are not going to take stand now then when? Other countries are moving towards free internet zones everywhere on government level and our government imposes extra taxed to pull us back.