Addis Ababa, 17 September 2026 (ECA) - The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has called for more balanced and growth-oriented taxation of the ICT sector to make digital services more affordable, encourage investment and advance inclusive digital transformation across Africa.

The call was made during an online workshop on "Implementing the ECA ICT Tax Optimization Model for Economic Growth and Job Creation in Africa," which brought together 144 participants from 46 countries, including 34 African countries and 12 countries from other regions, to discuss ECA's report on optimizing ICT tax regimes and practical approaches to implementation.

Opening the workshop, Dr. Mactar Seck, Chief of ECA's Emerging and Frontier Technologies, Innovation and Digital Transformation Section, noted that ICT taxation should be considered within the sector's broader economic contribution rather than solely from the perspective of short-term fiscal returns.

Presenting the report, Mariamawit Ayele, Researcher at ECA, highlighted the growing contribution of the digital economy to employment, productivity, innovation, financial inclusion and wider socioeconomic development. She noted that, despite expanding network coverage, Africa continues to face a substantial gap between infrastructure availability and actual use of digital services, with affordability, limited access to devices and digital skills among the factors constraining adoption.

The report examines how ICT-specific taxes, including excise duties and other sector-related charges, can affect consumer prices, investment and the uptake of digital services. It recommends that countries assess these effects systematically and consider gradual reforms based on national circumstances, reliable data and economic modelling.

The workshop also featured a demonstration of the ECA ICT Tax Impact Calculator, an evidence-based tool that enables countries to model different tax-reform scenarios and examine their potential effects on the wider economy. "The calculator is not intended to prescribe a uniform tax reduction across countries. Rather, it can help governments assess different options using country-specific data and determine an appropriate pace and scale of reform" said Dr. Seck.

Reflecting on the report's findings, Kossi Amessinou of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Benin commended its evidence-based, country-specific approach to ICT tax reform. He agreed that reliable data should underpin policy decisions, noting that governments need a clear understanding of the revenue generated by different ICT-related taxes before introducing changes. He further echoed the report's call for targeted reforms that distinguish among subsectors such as internet services, devices and e-commerce.

Speaking on behalf of the Africa mobile industry, Caroline Mbugua, Senior Director, Public Policy and Communications, Africa at GSMA, said "the report provides a timely, evidence-based contribution to ICT tax reform in Africa, and where taxation is proportionate and predictable, the industry has both the incentive and demonstrated capacity to deliver more affordable services, more investment and more inclusion"

Jimson Olufuye, Vice Chair of AfICTA (Africa ICT Alliance), emphasized that predictable, enabling policies are essential for investment in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data centres and digital platforms.

During the workshop, participants from ministries of ICT, finance and planning, as well as private sector and telecommunications operators, etc. raised issues including mobile money taxation, the informal economy, gender gaps in digital access, device affordability, and digitalization's role in strengthening tax administration and compliance. They stressed the need to balance fiscal objectives with affordability and investment, supported by transparent data, regular evaluation and broad stakeholder engagement.

The workshop concluded with a recommendation for African countries to use evidence, economic modelling and tools such as the ECA ICT Tax Impact Calculator to inform national reforms. The workshop forms part of ECA's broader commitment to support African countries in developing enabling policy and regulatory frameworks that harness digital technologies for sustainable and inclusive development.

For more: https://www.uneca.org/eca-events/workshop-implementing-eca-ict-tax-optimization-model-economic-growth-and-job-creation-africa

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: [email protected]