Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, says the federal government has suspended a five percent excise duty on telecommunications services in Nigeria.

Mr Pantami announced this on Monday during the inaugural meeting of the presidential committee on excise duty for the digital economy sector in Abuja.The minister said the sector is already overburdened by excessive and multiple taxations.

Pantami had faulted the government’s plan to implement the tax contrary to the position of Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning. She had insisted that the federal government would go ahead to implement the five percent excise duty on telecommunications services.