Niger introduces taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, other imports

Niger’s military regime has introduced new taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and other imports to help fund its fight against jihadists on its territory, authorities told AFP on Friday.

The new taxes include a seven-percent levy on cigarettes, 12 percent on beer and other beverages, 10 percent on refrigerators and up to five percent on motor vehicles, according to a list published by the economy ministry.

The Sahel region country suffers regular attacks by fighters linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group in the west, plus Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) branch in the southeast.

The junta has struggled to curb the violence since taking power under General Abdourahamane Tiani in a coup in July 2023.

After taking over, it set up a defence fund which is says is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and in October announced taxes on luxury goods.

Defence fund president Brah Reki Moussa announced a new one-percent tax on public and private sector workers’ salaries, speaking recently on television.

She said the various new measures would raise the equivalent of $88 million.

AFP

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