The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) has asked the nations’ telecom operators to connect to its Data Management Centre (DMC) by January 1, 2021.

Based on the telecom laws, all operators and stakeholders involved in telecom must provide data service information to the MPTC.

The MPTC noted that the majority of telecom operators have already connected to the DMC but some have not yet complied, despite the government having issued multiple notices asking them to do so.

The MPTC asked the operators to send in the data in order to provide full transparency on companies’ revenues.  Full transparency will improve the sharing of tax information with the government.

Failing to meet the Jan 1 deadline will result in the ministry taking action in the form of suspending and/or withdrawing the telecom and/or business licenses of those in non-compliance.

Both the MPTC and General Department of Tax (GDT) plan to implement bilateral information exchanges and share telecom operators’ revenue data from the DMC, and provide technical support in enforcing tax obligations using the upcoming National Internet Gateway.