Remember when the Telecom Minister claimed he’s not planning on taxing Whatsapp? Well he was lying as the government agreed today to enforce a 20 cent/day fee on every WhatsApp or any other VOIP user. This means you will be taxed twice for your internet, once as part of your plan and the second time by the Telecom ministry. This amounts to $6 per month per user, and from what I read, this will include calls over WIFI not just 3G/4G networks.

This decision is as short-sighted as cancelling the first free 60 minutes for postpaid lines. Now people will resort to sending voice messages over WhatsApp instead of making calls, or using the other kazillion voice apps in the market that will be impossible to track.

Why doesn’t the minister consider ways to drop prices of mobile data plans? to encourage further usage? In telecom nowadays, you want more people using the network, not less at a higher price. That’s not how things work anymore.