MTN Uganda Pays UGX 54.3 Billion Levy as Revenues Top UGX 2.7 Trillion

June 25, 2026 in Business, Communications, Companies, Infrastructure, Technology & Telecoms by Editor

MTN Uganda’s statutory contribution to the Uganda Communications Commission rose by approximately 7.4pc to UGX 54.27 billion in 2025, from UGX 50.55 billion the previous year, underscoring market leadership and growing role in Uganda’s digital transformation agenda.

 

MTN Uganda has paid UGX 54.3 billion to the Uganda Communications Commission under the sector’s statutory levy regime, implying annual revenues of more than UGX 2.7 trillion. The contribution will help finance connectivity and digital inclusion projects in underserved communities across Uganda.

 

MTN Uganda has paid UGX 54.3 billion (approximately US$14.7 million) to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) as its statutory industry levy for 2025, a contribution that not only reinforces the telecom operator’s dominant market position but also highlights the growing scale of Uganda’s digital economy.

The payment, equivalent to 2 percent of the company’s gross annual revenues as required under Uganda’s communications regulations, implies that MTN Uganda generated approximately UGX 2.71 trillion (US$734 million) in revenue during the 2025 financial year.

The levy is one of the telecommunications sector’s most important funding mechanisms, providing resources for extending connectivity and digital services to communities that remain commercially unattractive to private investors.

Under the Uganda Communications Act, licensed telecommunications operators contribute 2 percent of their gross annual revenues to UCC. Half of the funds are remitted to the government’s Consolidated Fund, while the remaining portion is retained by the regulator and channelled through the Uganda Communications Universal Service and Access Fund (UCUSAF).

The fund supports projects aimed at expanding communications infrastructure, broadband connectivity and digital access in underserved parts of the country.

Officials described MTN Uganda’s latest contribution as a significant boost to efforts aimed at expanding Uganda’s digital footprint and ensuring broader participation in the digital economy.

The contribution comes at a time when Uganda is increasingly positioning digital transformation as a central pillar of economic growth, public service delivery and financial inclusion.

Over the past decade, mobile network operators have invested heavily in expanding telecommunications infrastructure, helping increase voice and data coverage across much of the country. However, significant connectivity gaps remain, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach communities where network deployment costs remain high and commercial returns uncertain.

For MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Sylvia Mulinge, the next phase of the country’s digital journey is less about basic connectivity and more about meaningful participation.

“Our challenge is no longer whether Uganda is connected. It is whether more Ugandans can participate in the activities the digital economy creates,” Mulinge said.

Her remarks reflect a growing policy debate around digital inclusion, affordability and access to devices, areas that many analysts consider critical to unlocking the full benefits of connectivity.

Civil society organisations and digital rights advocates have previously argued that taxes on digital devices and communications services continue to slow adoption, particularly among lower-income households, despite increasing network availability.

Through UCUSAF, UCC has over the years financed a range of initiatives aimed at narrowing the country’s digital divide. These include broadband expansion projects, ICT laboratories in schools, community information centres and telecommunications infrastructure deployed in rural areas.

The fund has also supported programmes focused on digital literacy, internet access and the adoption of communications technologies among underserved and marginalised communities.

UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo said the regulator views contributions from operators such as MTN Uganda as an important partnership in advancing national development goals.

“We thank MTN for viewing this responsibility not as a burden but as a shared investment in Uganda’s future,” Thembo said.

The size of MTN Uganda’s contribution also serves as a useful indicator of the company’s continued dominance in the telecommunications sector. As the country’s largest telecom operator by subscriber numbers and one of its biggest corporate taxpayers, MTN has continued to invest heavily in network expansion, mobile financial services and broadband infrastructure.

The company has consistently positioned itself as a key enabler of Uganda’s digital transformation agenda through investments in technology platforms, connectivity solutions and financial inclusion services.

Industry analysts note that universal service funds are becoming increasingly important as regulators and governments seek sustainable ways to extend digital services beyond commercially viable markets.

As demand for internet access, mobile money services and digital platforms continues to grow, such funding mechanisms are expected to play a critical role in ensuring that the benefits of Uganda’s digital economy reach communities that might otherwise be left behind.

For policymakers, regulators and operators alike, the challenge is increasingly shifting from building networks to ensuring that citizens have the skills, devices and affordable access required to participate fully in a rapidly digitising economy.