Zambia has received an investment of 58 million dollars in digital infrastructure following the elimination of tax on the importation of digital infrastructure from 2021.
The Minister of Technology and Science, Hon Felix Mutati, said that the investment has helped the country connect to all eight of its neighbours via fibre optic technology. According to him, since the removal of the tax on the import of digital equipment, the country has attracted a lot of investment from the private sector.
Speaking at a ministerial panel discussion at the Africa Digital Government Summit 2024, which kicked off in the district of Chongwe (Zambia) on Wednesday morning (2), he emphasised that the tax on digital equipment was scaring off investors and forcing them to withhold their investments.
‘The government realised that, for investment to enter the country, there was a need for tax incentives,’ Hon Felix pointed out. ‘The state is promoting incentives, innovation and investment, with the aim of fostering greater private sector involvement in the economy,’ he added.
Other panellists included Burundi’s Minister of Communications, ICT and Technology, Leocadie Ndacayisaba, Somalia’s Minister of Communications and Technology, Mohammed Ali, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, and the Executive Governor of Zamfara State in Nigeria, Dauda Lawal.
Source: TechAfrica News
