CBN Exempts 16 Banking Transactions from Cybersecurity levy (Full List)

Following the announcement of the implementation of the 0.05 percent cybersecurity levy on transactions, the Central Bank of Nigeria on Monday listed transactions granted exemption from the levy. 

The bank earlier directed all banks to charge a 0.5 percent cybersecurity levy on all electronic transactions within the country starting two weeks from 6 May. 

“The levy shall be applied at the point of electronic transfer origination, then deducted and remitted by the financial institution. The deducted amount shall be reflected in the customer’s account with the narration, ‘Cybersecurity Levy’,” it said. 

The directive and the exemption list were contained in a circular signed by the Director, Payments System Management Department, Chibuzo Efobi; and the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Haruna Mustafa. 

Below is the list of the exempted banking transactions: 

1. Loan disbursements and repayments 
2. Salary payments 
3. Intra-account transfers within the same bank or between different banks for the same customer 
4. Intra-bank transfers between customers of the same bank 
5. Other Financial Institutions instructions to their correspondent banks 
6. Interbank placements 
7. Banks’ transfers to CBN and vice-versa 
8. Inter-branch transfers within a bank 
9. Cheque clearing and settlements 
10. Letters of Credits 
11. Banks’ recapitalisation-related funding – only bulk funds movement from collection accounts 
12. Savings and deposits, including transactions involving long-term investments such as Treasury Bills, Bonds, and Commercial Papers. 
13. Government Social Welfare Programmes transactions e.g. Pension payments 
14. Non-profit and charitable transactions, including donations to registered non-profit organisations or charities 
15. Educational institutions’ transactions, including tuition payments and other transactions involving schools, universities, or other educational institutions 
16. Transactions involving bank’s internal accounts such as suspense accounts, clearing accounts, profit and loss accounts, inter-branch accounts, reserve accounts, nostro and vostro accounts, and escrow accounts.