Mobile Telecommunications company, MTN, has been fined over $160 million in Cameroon for failing to pay taxes on games and gambling services.
A rigorous probe into the Cameroonian telecommunications sector led to fines totalling about $283 million, and found other companies, such as Viettel in violation of regulations.
In the report written by the anti corruption commission, known as CONAC, MTN was also accused of not paying taxes on its money transfer system, known as Mobile Money.
This is another blow for MTN, which is already contesting a $3.9 billion fine in Nigeria for failing to disconnect users with unregistered SIM cards amongst other alleged impropriety.
Unregistered SIM cards can be used for criminal activities, and this is a major concern for Nigeria as the threat of militant Islamist group Boko Haram, although largely defeated continues to loom.
Nigeria’s President Muhammad Buhari speaking at an interactive forum with members of the Nigerian Community in Abu Dhabi, said that the war against terrorism can only be won with collective effort and a commitment by all stakeholders to work in unison to halt the scourge.
Remarking that the registration of all mobile phone users without exception will help the security agencies to pre-empt terrorist attacks, the President said that telecommunication companies operating in Nigeria must adhere to the rules and guidelines of the Nigerian Communications Commission in this regard.
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