The federal government through the ministry of communication technology and Bayelsa State government at the weekend signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to reduce the telecommunication levies charged operators in the state by 50 per cent as part of the initiative to make Bayelsa a smart state.

The ministry and the Broadband Council is promoting a “Smart State’’ initiative geared at engaging governors and relevant authorities at the state and federal levels to address the issue of multiple taxation impeding the acceleration of the roll out of critical infrastructure across Nigeria.

The main aim of the Smart State initiative is to ensure that effective measures are adopted to remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxation across the nation.

Bayelsa is one of the smart states selected by the Broadband Council to facilitate ICT infrastructure roll out critical for development. Others selected by the Broadband Council include Anambra, Gombe, Katsina and Ondo. Lagos has already reduced Right of Way (RoW) charges by 85 per cent.

The MoU was signed during the Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum held over the weekend in Bayelsa.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2014/07/fg-bayelsa-sign-mou-reduce-telecom-levies-50/