SIM cards , Phones to cost more : Why Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom lines will be expensive

SIM cards and mobile devices will cost more than usual, a move taken by companies to be in line with  the government's  new Finance Bill 2022. 

This means Safaricom,Airtel and Telkom lines will have a revised higher price starting from this month - July.

According to the bill ,each SIM card will cost KES 50 more than the retailing price before.

Safaricom lines for example which used to cost KES 50 will now cost KES 100 to get a new SIM card.

In a Thursday notice to the public, Safaricom said ; 

The Government of Kenya has implemented a ksh 50 excise tax on SIM cards and a 10% excise tax on imported phones as part of the Finance Act 2022. In addition,the East African Community has applied a 25% import duty on phones as part of the Common External Tariff.

 

Accordingly, effective 15th July 2022, we will be reviewing our SIM card pricing to ksh 50+ksh50 airtime first top up to include the excise tax.

Phone prices will be adjusted to include the 10% excise tax and 25% import duty as existing stock levels are replaced with new stock on whichthe new taxes apply.

Phone devices imported to Kenya will also have a 10% excise tax and a 25% import duty according to the Finance Act 2022 and East African Community Common External Tariff. 

Effective 15th July 2022, both SIM cards and mobile phones will have revised new high prices.

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