‘I Will Go Against Any Policy That Will Destroy Digital Economy,’— Pantami Reacts To New 5% Excise Duty

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said he will frustrate attempts by the federal government to implement a five per cent excise duty on telecommunication services.

Pantami said he was not consulted on the new tax which he said would suppress growth recorded in the sector.

The minister stated his position on the matter in Lagos at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Telecommunications Indigenous Content Expo which was organised by the Nigeria Office for Developing the indigenous Telecom Sector.

The comment is coming few days after the Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, announced additional tax at the stakeholders’ forum on the implementation of excise duty on telecommunications services in Nigeria

When implemented, the excise duty would rise to 12.5 per cent.

Telecom operators had also said the burden will be pushed to the consumers.

Pantami said, “The ministry of communications and digital economy is not satisfied with any effort to introduce excise duty on telecommunication services.

“Firstly, I have not been consulted officially and part of the rulemaking is to invite stakeholders to make contributions, I was not consulted officially. Secondly, if we have been contacted, we would have challenged the submission.

“The sectors that are contributing to our economy today are few. What we should be doing is to ensure that all other sectors can also contribute. A lot of sectors are consumers, these are the sectors that we should be tasked to contribute.

“A sector cannot be a consumer today; each sector must contribute a certain percentage to the economy. And if we fail to do that, we would be increasing the pressure and by doing that we would be destroying the digital economy sector.

“Excise duty is introduced to discourage the consumption of certain commodities like alcohol, and tobacco. But today, without broadband penetration, how can you perform financial transactions, how can you deliver lectures without that, how can you work in a hospital, these services are a necessity.”

The minister reiterated that telecom companies pay two per cent excise duty to the NCC, while telecom consumers also contribute for 7.5 per cent for using the service.

The minister argued that government ought to diversify its revenue portfolio in a manner that would not tamper with growth in the sector.

He said, “We will make further steps to fight it. As a minister, based on the provision of the constitution of Nigeria, section 148, we are exercising the powers of Mr President.

“That is what the constitution says. At least, I am a major stakeholder. When the 7.5 per cent VAT was added, I was not consulted, I only heard the announcement. And I think there is something questionable, and I am glad that we are on the same page with our National Assembly members here, they were not consulted, and they are part of the committees.

“Beyond making our position known, we will go behind the scenes and go against any policy that will destroy the digital economy sector. We will go to any extent to legitimately and legally defend its interest.”