閱讀理解原文
The Nigerian government halted its effort to fund national cybersecurity improvements through a 0.5% levy on domestic electronic transactions after the current administration faced widespread public criticism for increasing taxes during an economic crisis.
As recently as May 6, the Central Bank of Nigeria directed financial institutions to begin collecting the levy within two weeks. But following public outcry, President Bola Tinubu pledged to block the tax over the weekend, and on May 14, a senior cabinet member of the administration officially suspended implementation of the measure.
"The cybersecurity tax policy implementation has been directed by the government to be put on hold, so it has been suspended," Information Minister Mohammed Idris said, according to Reuters.Nigeria is one of the three largest economies in Africa — various estimates rank South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria as No. 1 — but the West African nation is currently weathering its most significant economic crisis in decades with annual inflation exceeding 30%, falling international investment, and soaring cost-of-living expenses. The combination has left average Nigerian citizens struggling to afford basic staples, and it's those citizens who would pay the cybersecurity tax.
The economic challenges have constrained Nigeria's growth, and the cost to advance the national cybersecurity agenda needs to recognize those challenges, Wale Ajayi, partner and head of the Tax, Regulatory & People Services in Nigeria for consultancy KPMG, wrote in an advisory on the cybersecurity levy.
"The key objective of the cybercrime levy is to ensure that there is dedicated and adequate funding available to address the growing threats of cyber-attacks," he stated. "This explains why some countries have implemented various forms of cyber security levies to fund cyber security initiatives. However, consideration must be given to the country's prevailing economic conditions. The current economic climate does not justify its implementation now."
閱讀理解題目
1.The Nigerian government suspended its plan to finance national cybersecurity enhancements through a levy on domestic electronic transactions due to:
A)criticism for increasing taxes during an economic downturn.
B)pressure from international investors.
C)a lack of public awareness about cybersecurity.
D)opposition from other African nations.
2.According to the passage, when did the Central Bank of Nigeria initially instruct financial institutions to collect the levy?
A)On May 14
B)On May 6
C)Two weeks after May 14
D)After President Bola Tinubu's announcement
3.Why are Nigerian citizens opposed to the cybersecurity tax?
A)They believe it will hinder economic growth.
B)They cannot afford the increased cost of living.
C)They distrust the government's ability to implement it.
D)They want the tax revenue allocated to other sectors.
4.What economic challenges is Nigeria currently facing?
A)Falling international investment and soaring cost-of-living expenses.
B)Increasing tax rates and declining GDP.
C)A decrease in cybersecurity threats and rising inflation.
D)Growing GDP and stable international investment.
5.According to Wale Ajayi, why should Nigeria reconsider implementing the cybersecurity levy at this time?
A)The government lacks the necessary infrastructure for cybersecurity.
B)International investors are concerned about the levy's impact on the economy.
C)The current economic conditions do not justify its implementation.
D)Other African nations have criticized Nigeria's approach to cybersecurity.
中文翻譯
在現(xiàn)任政府因在經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)期間增加稅收而受到公眾廣泛批評(píng)后,尼日利亞政府停止了通過(guò)對(duì)國(guó)內(nèi)電子交易征收 0.5% 的稅來(lái)資助國(guó)家網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全改善的努力。
就在5月6日,尼日利亞中央銀行指示金融機(jī)構(gòu)在兩周內(nèi)開(kāi)始征收該稅。但在公眾強(qiáng)烈抗議之后,總統(tǒng)博拉·蒂努布承諾在周末阻止這項(xiàng)稅收,并于 5 月 14 日,政府一名高級(jí)內(nèi)閣成員正式暫停實(shí)施該措施。
據(jù)路透社報(bào)道,信息部長(zhǎng)穆罕默德·伊德里斯表示,“網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全稅收政策實(shí)施已被政府指示暫停,因此已暫停。”尼日利亞是非洲三大經(jīng)濟(jì)體之一——各種估計(jì)排名南半球。非洲、埃及和尼日利亞排名第一,但這個(gè)西非國(guó)家目前正在經(jīng)歷幾十年來(lái)最嚴(yán)重的經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī),年通貨膨脹率超過(guò) 30%,國(guó)際投資下降,生活費(fèi)用飆升。這種結(jié)合導(dǎo)致尼日利亞普通公民難以負(fù)擔(dān)基本生活必需品,而正是這些公民需要繳納網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全稅。
咨詢(xún)公司畢馬威 (KPMG) 尼日利亞稅務(wù)、監(jiān)管和人民服務(wù)合伙人兼主管瓦勒·阿賈伊 (Wale Ajayi) 在一份有關(guān)網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全的咨詢(xún)中寫(xiě)道,經(jīng)濟(jì)挑戰(zhàn)限制了尼日利亞的增長(zhǎng),推進(jìn)國(guó)家網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全議程的成本需要認(rèn)識(shí)到這些挑戰(zhàn)。
他表示:“網(wǎng)絡(luò)犯罪稅的主要目標(biāo)是確保有專(zhuān)門(mén)且充足的資金來(lái)應(yīng)對(duì)日益增長(zhǎng)的網(wǎng)絡(luò)攻擊威脅。” “這解釋了為什么一些國(guó)家實(shí)施了各種形式的網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全稅來(lái)資助網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全舉措。但是,必須考慮該國(guó)當(dāng)前的經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況。當(dāng)前的經(jīng)濟(jì)環(huán)境并不證明現(xiàn)在實(shí)施該稅是合理的。”
題目解析
1.正確答案:A) criticism for increasing taxes during an economic downturn.
解析: 文章提到,尼日利亞政府在經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)期間增加稅收引發(fā)了廣泛批評(píng),因此暫停了通過(guò)對(duì)國(guó)內(nèi)電子交易征收稅收來(lái)資助國(guó)家網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全改進(jìn)的計(jì)劃。
2.正確答案: B) On May 6
解析: 文章指出,尼日利亞中央銀行最初在5月6日指示金融機(jī)構(gòu)在兩周內(nèi)開(kāi)始征收該稅。
3.正確答案: B) They cannot afford the increased cost of living.
解析: 文章提到,尼日利亞公民無(wú)法承受生活成本的增加,因此反對(duì)網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全稅。
4.正確答案: A) Falling international investment and soaring cost-of-living expenses
解析: 文章指出,尼日利亞目前面臨著國(guó)際投資下降和生活成本飆升等經(jīng)濟(jì)挑戰(zhàn)。
5.正確答案: C) The current economic conditions do not justify its implementation.
解析: 文章引用了Wale Ajayi的觀點(diǎn),他認(rèn)為尼日利亞應(yīng)該重新考慮在目前時(shí)機(jī)實(shí)施網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全稅,因?yàn)槟壳暗慕?jīng)濟(jì)狀況不足以證明其實(shí)施的合理性。