The Mobile Money Transaction Levy Act, 2023

THE MOBILE MONEY TRANSACTION LEVY
ACT, 2023
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Short title and Commencement
2. Interpretation
3. Administration of Act
4. Imposition of levy
5. Exemptions from payment of levy
6. Monitoring
7. Offence by principal officers of body corporate or
unincorporate body
8. Guidelines or directives
9. Regulations
SCHEDULE
Mobile Money Transaction Levy [No. 16 of 2023 277
Single copies of this Act may be obtained from the Government Printer,
P.O. Box 30136, 10101 Lusaka, Price K12.00 each.

ction Levy [No. 16 of 2023 277
Single copies of this Act may be obtained from the Government Printer,
P.O. Box 30136, 10101 Lusaka, Price K12.00 each.

An Act to provide for imposition, payment and collection of
a mobile money transaction levy and provide for matters
connected with, and incidental to, the foregoing.
[26th December, 2023
ENACTED by the Parliament of Zambia.
1. This Act may be cited as the Mobile Money Transaction
Levy Act, 2023, and shall come into operation on 1st January, 2024.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
“Bank” means the Bank of Zambia established under the
Constitution;
“betting” has the meaning assigned to the word in the Casino
Act;
“Consolidated Fund” means the Consolidated Fund established
under the Constitution;
“electronic money” means the store of monetary value
electronically represented by a claim on the mobile money
service provider that is—
(a) issued on receipt of funds in an amount not less in
value than the value of the electronic money issued;
(b) stored on an electronic device;
(c) accepted as a means of payment by persons; and
(d) redeemable on demand;;
Enactment
Short title
and
commence-
ment
Interpretation
Cap.1
Cap. 157
Cap. 1
Mobile Money Transaction Levy [No. 16 of 2023 279
GOVERNMENT OF ZAMBIA
ACT
No. 16 of 2023
Date of Assent: 22nd December, 2023

on
Cap.1
Cap. 157
Cap. 1
Mobile Money Transaction Levy [No. 16 of 2023 279
GOVERNMENT OF ZAMBIA
ACT
No. 16 of 2023
Date of Assent: 22nd December, 2023

Mobile Money Transaction Levy280 No. 16 of 2023]
“levy” means a mobile money transaction levy charged under
section 4;
“merchant” means a person or entity that accepts electronic
money as a means of payment for goods and services, but
does not include betting, and is registered with the Zambia
Revenue Authority for tax purposes;
“mobile money service provider” means an entity that is
authorised by the Bank to issue electronic money against
receipt of funds in accordance with the National Payment
Systems Act, 2007;
“person-to-person transfer” means a transfer of electronic
money from one person to another person; and
“Zambia Revenue Authority” means the Zambia Revenue
Authority established under the Zambia Revenue Authority
Act. 3. This Act shall be administered by the Bank. 4. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, a mobile money
service provider shall collect a levy set out in the Schedule on a
person-to-person transfer. (2) The levy referred to under subsection (1) shall be paid by
the sender of the electronic money.

out in the Schedule on a
person-to-person transfer. (2) The levy referred to under subsection (1) shall be paid by
the sender of the electronic money.

(3) The mobile money service provider shall, within ten days
after the end of each month, remit the total levies collected for that
month to the Bank account specified under subsection (5). (4) A mobile money service provider shall, at the time of
remitting a levy under subsection (3), submit a return to the Bank in
the prescribed manner and form. (5) The Bank shall, subject to the approval of the Ministry
responsible for finance, open and operate a special bank account at
the Bank for the purposes of receiving a levy from a mobile money
service provider. (6) The Bank shall, on receipt of the levy under subsection
(3), deposit that levy in the Consolidated Fund. (7) A mobile money service provider that contravenes
subsections (3) and (4) commits an offence and is liable, on
conviction, to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand penalty
units or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or, to
both. Act No. 1 of
2007
Cap. 321
Administration
of Act
Imposition of
levy

d penalty
units or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or, to
both. Act No. 1 of
2007
Cap. 321
Administration
of Act
Imposition of
levy

5. (1) The levy is not payable on a—
(a) transaction between—
(i) a person to Government; or
(ii) Government to person;
(b) payment —
(i) of utility bills; or
(ii) to a merchant. (c ) transfer from a bank account. (2) Despite subsection (1), the Minister may, by statutory
instrument, exempt a person from payment of a levy. 6. (1) The Bank shall maintain a mechanism of monitoring
person-to-person transfers to which the levy relates. (2) Despite the generality of subsection (1) the Bank may, for
purposes of monitoring—
(a) verify the returns submitted in accordance with section
4(4);
(b) access the mobile money service provider’s operations,
bank account and data relating to a levy to ensure
compliance with the Act; and
(c) require the mobile money service provider to submit any
other information that the Bank may consider necessary. 7. Where an offence under this Act is committed by a body
corporate or unincorporate body, with the knowledge, consent or
connivance of a director, manager or shareholder of that body
corporate or unincorporate body that director, manager or
shareholder is liable, on conviction, to the penalty specified for the
offence. 8.

that body
corporate or unincorporate body that director, manager or
shareholder is liable, on conviction, to the penalty specified for the
offence. 8.

(1) The Bank may issue guidelines or directives as the Bank
may consider necessary for the administration or better carrying
out of this Act. (2) The Bank shall publish the guidelines or directives issued
under subsection (1) in the Gazette. 9. The Minister may, by statutory instrument, make
Regulations for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Act. Exemptions
from
payment of
levy
Monitoring
Offence by
principal
officers of
body
corporate or
unincorporate
body
Guidelines
or directives
Regulations
Mobile Money Transaction Levy [No. 16 of 2023 281

SCHEDULE
(Section 4(1))
CHARGEABLE RATES
Amount range (ZMW) Levy (ZMW)
Between 1 to 150 0.08
Between 151 to 300 0.10
Between 301 to 500 0.20
Between 501 to 1000 0.50
Between 1001 to 3000 0.80
Between 3001 to 5000 1.00
Between 5001 to 10000 1.50
Above 10,000 1.80
Mobile Money Transaction Levy282 No. 16 of 2023]