'Higher tax on smartphone to slow digital inclusion'

The government's move to raise taxes on smartphones to promote local manufacturing may undermine Bangladesh's digital inclusion and technology-driven growth by making smart devices less affordable for millions of users, Technology Industry Policy Advocacy Platform (TIPAP) Convener Fahim Mashroor told a seminar on Wednesday.

Speaking at the seminar, 'Impact of the Budget on the Telecom and Technology Sector', organised by TIPAP at the BDBL Building in Karwan Bazar, Mashroor, also former president of BASIS, said imposing additional taxes on smartphones to encourage domestic manufacturing could hamper the country's digital inclusion and the expansion of its technology-driven economy.