One Egyptian Pound Tax

It is of interest to read an article in the Egyptian newspaper Al-Wafd (Sept. 17, 2012) in which the Minister of Treasury Mr. Mutaz al Saeed proposed a tax of “one Egyptian piaster” per talking minute on cellular phone users. He is proposing that the tax be collected by phone companies and turned into the treasury ministry to help lower the Egyptian budget deficit that has reached 170 billion Egyptian pounds.

I posted similar proposals on my blog on December 4, 2009 and May 27, 2010. According to government statistics, there are more than 80 million cellular phone users in Egypt. I proposed a one Egyptian pound tax per cellular phone per month to be collected by phone companies and turned in to the government.

If such a proposal is implemented, it will net nearly one billion Egyptian pounds per year to be used to improve the educational system and facilities that are currently in very bad shape.

The proposed tax will not create a burden on the average user. This suggestion is more important than the one proposed by the minister of treasury. Education is the backbone of progress in any society.