“Tax us, but don’t break inclusion,” fintech boss warns as Senegal taps mobile money

• Senegal targets $407mn from electronic payments over three years
• Fintech leaders warn regulation must not slow financial inclusion

DAKAR, SENEGAL — Senegal’s fast-expanding mobile money sector has become central to a delicate debate over taxation, financial inclusion and how African states fund themselves in times of fiscal pressure.

With nearly all adult Senegalese now using digital payments, the government has turned to electronic transactions as a new revenue source, imposing a levy that has drawn both support and caution from industry leaders.