As the 12% internet tax continues to bite, Lycamobile Uganda has increased its data prices for the monthly, weekly, and daily packages. The telco, which recently got a National Operator license from the UCC, has been offering what seemed like the cheapest bundles in Uganda. However, the new excise duty seems to have left them without an option but to extend the burden to its customers.
From the new prices, a daily bundle costs UGX 750 to have 250 MB. Here are the other Lycamobile Uganda data prices that have changed.
Monthly Data (GB) | Old Price (UGX) | New Price (UGX) |
---|---|---|
20 | 10,000 | 15,000 |
50 | 25,000 | 30,000 |
100 | 45,000 | 50,000 |
Weekly Data (GB) | Old Price (UGX) | New Price (UGX) |
---|---|---|
0.5 | 1,000 | 1,500 |
5 | 5,000 | 8,000 |
10 | 7,000 | 10,000 |
Why Lycamobile Uganda increased its data prices
When we contacted the LycaMobile customer support team to explain why the internet prices were increased, they admitted to having no other option apart from following the 12% internet tax directive.
“We would like to inform you that we modified our data rates due to the recent elimination of OTT services effective from 05/07/2021 except for international Voice bundles, We have tried to prevent this price increase for as long as possible because of course, we wanted to provide our products at a competitive price. However, Not to do so would directly affect our ability to trade. we regrettably had no choice other than to implement the new government tax policies. We would like to apologize for any problems that the price increase may cause.“
How other telecoms have reacted to the 12% internet tax
The three top internet service providers, MTN Uganda, Airtel Uganda, and Africell Uganda have all continued to offer their data bundles without any price increment. They confirm that they will pay the tax for their customers for now, but we can only wait to see if this changes in the future.
Roke Telkom indicated, in a tweet, that it would increase the prices of its Roke Classic, Roke Unlimited, and Roke MEGA services by 12% – following the government directive. However, there is a ray of good news for Rokespot users as these will not have to pay the internet tax. In a follow-up tweet, the company stated that it will not be increasing the price of ROKE Express Wi-Fi/ Rokespot bundles.
Kampala Siti Cable stated that all its Simba Fiber data offerings and packages will be subjected to the tax, this simply means you should expect the rates for these bundles to increase.