From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has said no Nigerian was expected to pay the cyber security levy.
The House explained that, in accordance with the extant law, the levy was intended to be paid by companies doing business in the cyber space.
Consequently, the House admonished the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) to cause further enlightenment on the Cyber Crimes Act and implementation of the 0.5 percent levy.
Also, the parliament mandated its Committees on National Security and Intelligence, Digital and Information Technology among others, to ensure compliance with its resolution of May 9 on the cybersecurity levy.
The parliament stated this at plenary after adopting a motion by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda and eight others, on the urgent need to correct the wrong perception of the House of Representatives’ position on implementation of the Cyber crimes Act.
Chinda, in his lead debate, explained that contrary to media reports, the House did not stop the implementation of the cyber security levy. According to him, the import of the motion passed by the Green Chamber last week was that the cyber security levy was not intended to be paid by individuals.
“The Cyber crimes Act imposes a levy of 0.05 percent (0.005) on some establishments enumerated in the second schedule to the Act, that occupy the cyberspace; do business therein and make profit therefrom.
“The letter and spirit of the law as crafted by the parliament is not only commendable but in tune with contemporary trends and supportive of the global fight against cyber crime.
“The levy does not apply to ordinary Nigerians, but only to the establishments listed in the second schedule to the Act, viz, GSM service providers and all telecommunication companies; Internet service providers; banks and other financial institutions; insurance companies; and Nigerian stock exchange,” he stated.
The lawmaker added that “The world is a global village and with the internet-of-things, crime is moving from meat space (real or physical world) to cyber space without the physical limitations of boundaries.
“Cybercrime is more devastating, and can cripple a nation easier than the conventional crime in the physical space. The humongous cost expanded on security and the very likely limitations of funding cyber space security by the government. Some establishments carry out their businesses within the cyber space and make profits therefrom.”
Furthermore, the minority leader noted that, “all we are saying is for the executive not to tax Nigerians directly or indirectly. All we are doing today is to enlighten Nigerians that this law does not affect Nigerians, that only companies making money from cyberspace are to pay the tax.”
However, some of the lawmakers expressed concerns that some of the companies to be taxed by the Cyber Security Act may eventually pass it on to the citizens.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over plenary, in his ruling, said the parliament was not against the implementation of the cyber security levy. He added that the stance of the House was that the implementation of the Cyber Security Levy should be in accordance with the Act.
“All we are saying is for the executive not to tax Nigerians directly or indirectly. All we are doing today is to enlighten Nigerians that this law does not affect Nigerians; and that only the companies making money from cyberspace are to pay the tax.
“This law was made by us, but the fact is that the implementation falls under the executive. We have always cited Section 14, which states that the duty of the government is to protect lives and property. But, as legislators, we provide the framework. Section 44 of the Cyber Act was clear, the CBN has those it is regulating under the Act.”