Telecommunications and digital economy tax advisor at the Ministry of Finance and Budget, Atali Mopaya, assisted by Louis Marc Sakala, Director General of the Post and Electronic Communication Regulation Agency (ARPCE), presented and made an inventory, as of March 31, 2020, of 4 projects related to telecommunications taxation sector and digital economy. This presentation session was chaired by the Minister delegate in charge of Budget, Ludovic Ngatsé, on Saturday 23 May 2020 in Brazzaville. 

The first project concerns Electronic Financial Transactions (digital Hub), either by mobile money, or by bank transfer. Its progress marked by the implementation of the mobile component of the digital hub; the beginning of payment to the State of the fees by telecommunications operators (for information, the State has collected through mobile money 12, 9 billion FCFA, since 1 October 2019); and the continuation of the project of banking, microfinance, mesofinance and fund transfer companies.

The second project is the Electronic Stamp. In this regard, the implementation test has been carried out, while the payment terminals as well as the server are awaiting customs clearance by ARPCE.

The third project concerns the Supervision of revenue, the progress of which shows that the test of the monitoring system for supervising the revenue of telecoms operators has been completed, as well as fitting out of the supervision room. Added to this, the finalization shortly of the interconnection between the Ministry of Finance and the Post and Electronic Communication Regulation Agency (ARPCE). 

The last project presented is the Digitalization of invoice payments. Its progress shows that the test prototype has already been carried out with La Congolaise des eaux (LCDE), the company Energie électrique of Congo (E2C) and the company télédistribution Canal +. Note also the arrival shortly of servers for its deployment, as well as the imminent integration of payment standards for the exchange of data, between the new tool and the information systems of partner companies. Finally, the integration of bank payment methods (bank transfers, credit cards) will not be long in coming.

According to the roadmap of the Advisor Atali Mopaya, the Ministry of Finance and Budget aims, among other things, through these projects, at controlling taxable matter and the flows of operations in the telecommunication sector and digital content, the assessment liquidation and tax collection procedures in the sector, with regard to regulation in force; carrying out surveys and analysis on fraudulent schemes which contribute to the erosion of the tax base and to situations of double non-taxation, the analysis of the factors of territoriality and mechanisms of income creation of operators carried by breeding ground of digital economy operators such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Amazone, Google and others, and the exploration of revenue of taxation of these operations in Congo, revitalizing new income- generating activities through electronic money; revamping the creation of values-generating companies in the Fintech sector, etc.

The Participants to this presentation-demonstration session of projects suggested stimulating consumption, by removing barriers on electronic terminals (smartphones) with the convenience of use (Wifi connexion for example). They also recommended the training of experts in the operational administrations (Customs, Taxation, Treasury, etc.).    

The Press office of the Ministry of Finance