Ali Ndume, chief whip of the senate, says he does not support the cybersecurity levy.
On May 6, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed banks
and other financial institutions to implement a 0.5 percent cybersecurity levy
on electronic transactions.
The development followed the amendment of the Cybercrime
Act.
Speaking on Friday when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, the lawmaker said although he was part of the senators who supported the amendment of the act, he did not spot the part that has now placed extra burden on Nigerians.
“You cannot be
loading taxes on people when you are not increasing their income. Their source
of income, you are not widening it, you are not increasing it. I am not part of
those that support levying people anyhow,” he said.
“The amendment to the cybersecurity act, I supported it but
not the nitty-gritty and I am not trying to run away from any blame.
“What I understood by the amendment was that we have issues
with cybercrime and there is a need for the government to improve the
cybercrime act.”
Ndume added that lawmakers should not be solely blamed for
the cybercrime levy.
He said while some details may escape the attention of
legislators, civil society organisations and labour unions are supposed to
point out grey areas during public hearings.
“All the laws are not perfect and I take blame where I have
to. Looking at the nitty-gritty would have been the responsibility of
interested parties,” he said.
“I heard what the TUC president said. But in every law
passed in the national assembly, there must be a public hearing. And that
public hearing, there is a procedure where you must publicise in the radio,
print. Where were they?
“Part of it is that
if you get your copy, you bring your submission or you come to the public
hearing and analyse. His representative is supposed to be there to look out for
the interest of the people he’s talking about now.
“If I had known there is an issue where a cost would be
transferred to a customer or a Nigerian, I would not agree. That is why you
have the civil society organisations and the labour. It is not all about the
lawmakers.”
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Tinibu govt is like pharaoh on Israel. Increasing pains every day.
ReplyDeleteAny issue that concerns welfare of the citizens thrash to the waste bin.
Pharaoh didn't end well, that is the dividend of wicked leaders.