The importation of computer equipment into the Republic of Congo is now free of all taxes.
The measure which is set to last two years, is included in the 2021 finance law, which takes effect this January.
The aim is to give a boost to the of digital economy. Nevertheless, users and business operators are bracing up for the change as prices are expected to fall.
“For example, I can get a core i 7 for 600,000 CFA francs, and that’s a new computer. If I don’t pay taxes, that will be a bonus, because the buying of machines, or electronic products, drives us to train others in several fields;” according Brunel who is businessman.
But for several importers, there’s no reason to get carried away too quickly: old stocks, which are subject to the old law, must first be emptied.
While the Law on the importation of electronic items into the Republic of Congo is an exception in sub-Saharan Africa, the lack of basic infrastructure such as electricity, is still a problem in a country where only 9.7 percent of the population has access to the Internet.
