The Hungarian government is shelving its plan to tax internet data transfer by the gigabyte, following protest rallies attended by thousands of concerned citizens in Budapest since last week, reports Reuters.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose ruling Fidesz party proposed the tax be levied to shore up Hungary’s budget in 2015, issued a statement on public radio saying, “This tax in its current form cannot be introduced because the government wanted to extend a telecommunications tax, but the people see an internet tax.

If the people not only dislike something but also consider it unreasonable then it should not be done… The tax code should be modified. This must be withdrawn, and we do not have to deal with this now.”

Orban also said that the Hungarian government will instead look into other ways of taxing money made in the country on the Web next year.

Thumbnail image credit: zdanee / YouTube

➤ Hungary will shelve plans for internet tax for now, PM says [Reuters]

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