Myanmar to begin collecting for USF in June

The Myanmar government is planning to begin collecting a 2% tax on telecom operators’ income to finance a Universal Service Fund (USF) from June this year, the Myanmar Times writes, citing Deputy Director General U Myo Swe of the Post and Telecommunication Department (PTD) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC). The USF will be used to ensure that basic telecoms services are available nationwide, with the government targeting 94% population coverage by Q1 2019, later increasing to 99%. ‘The current network covers over 90% of Myanmar’s population, but for those areas that cannot get access to the network, network towers will be built with the USF from the operator,’ the official explained, adding: ‘Other telecommunications services will be available once the basic infrastructure is built.’