Niger clamps down on Airtel

– Niger on Saturday ordered the closure of the offices of the country’s biggest telecoms operator Airtel, a subsidiary of India’s Bharti Airtel group, for unpaid taxes of 107 million dollars.

Airtel has been in Niger since 2001 and holds a 51% market share, according to the national telecoms regulator.

Airtel had a Friday deadline to pay €15 million (R242 million) in fines. The company was slapped with tax arrears and a fine totalling €94 million. – AFP

Niamey