Dear Editor,

The famous saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, certainly sprang to mind when I saw Clovis’s cartoon last Thursday.

The cartoon shows the two major mobile players – Lime and Digicel – throwing out swim rings to customers in the form of new rates and promotions while the government, with its new telecoms tax, is effectively dragging the customer down in the water.

My research on the internet indicates to me that the telecoms sector is already the most taxed sector in Jamaica – suffering not just this new tax, but also considerably higher GCT rates than the standard.

It has to be asked of the government: Why were the customers of this sector targeted to bear an even greater burden? In recent years, with better and better communications and technology, we have found that this sector is vital to the betterment of society, the economy and individuals. In short, it is good for Jamaica and Jamaicans.

I have already felt the impact of this terrible tax in my own pocket – and I shudder to think how it is affecting those less fortunate in our society.

The government needs to rethink urgently this double taxation of mobile customers or risk scuppering all the good that the country and the people have derived from having access to 21st century communications.

Giselle Bovelle

boveyg@gmail.com