7 December 2018

French telecoms firm Orange Group says it has been ordered by the government of Niger to shut all its offices in the West African country because of a tax dispute. Reuters cites a statement from the company as saying that it has been ordered to pay XOF22 billion (USD37.9 million) in back taxes. ‘Orange Niger … regrets the brutality of such measures, especially given the exorbitant amounts claimed, which represent nearly 50% of Orange Niger’s turnover,’ the statement said, adding: ‘Orange Niger … intends to exercise all the avenues of recourse, in particular to safeguard the continuity of the company, seriously threatened by these unilateral and disproportionate decisions.’

Source: Telegeography