A new law in Uganda has imposed a daily tax of 200 shillings on people using social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, and Twitter. The new law entered into force on Sunday, amid questions on the possibility of its enforcement. Critics of this step said it will restrict freedom of speech. The parliament has approved this controversial law, and President Yoweri Museveni had pushed for the changes, arguing that social media encouraged gossip. He wrote a letter to Finance Minister Matia Kasaija insisting that the revenue collected by the social media tax would help the country "cope with consequences of olugambo [gossiping]". But he argued there should be no tax on internet data as it was useful for "educational, research or reference purposes". The new Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill will also impose various other taxes, including a 1 percent levy on the total value of mobile money transactions, which civil society groups complain will affect poorer Ugandans who rarely use banking services. State Minister for Finance David Bahati told parliament that the tax increases were needed to help Uganda pay off its growing national debt. The government is struggling to ensure all mobile phone SIM cards are properly registered. And of the 23.6 million mobile phone subscribers in the country, only 17 million use the internet, according to a Reuters report. It is therefore not clear how authorities will be able to identify Ugandans accessing social media sites. Kasaija dismissed concerns that the new law could limit peoples use of the internet. "Were looking for money to maintain the security of the country and extend electricity so that you people can enjoy more social media, more often, more frequently," he told Reuters in March. Social media have become an important political tool in Uganda for both the ruling party and the opposition. Access to platforms was shut during presidential elections in 2015. Museveni insisted at the time that it was done to "stop spreading lies".