Luanda — The National Assembly suspended the discussion of the Cybersecurity Bill within the specialized committees on Tuesday due to a lack of consensus between the Executive and the lawmakers regarding the preamble and the first two chapters of the proposed legislation.

Lawmakers are calling for the revision of several points, arguing that they do not clearly reflect the intended purpose of the law. UNITA agreed with the postponement but warned of the risk that a new bill might be required, which would entail restarting the legislative process.

According to MP Mihaela Webba, the primary focus of the legislation is security, noting that telecommunications issues are of secondary importance.

Consequently, she asked the rapporteurs and the Ministry's technical team to revise the points to ensure the law is properly aligned with its objectives.

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Echoing this sentiment, MPLA MP António Paulo explained that the joint meeting resulted in a mandate for the rapporteurs to work on improving the proposal.

Regarding the involvement of security experts in refining the initiative, he stated that the composition of the team is the responsibility of the Executive.

Discussion of the Cybersecurity Bill will resume once the points in question have been improved by the rapporteurs in collaboration with the Executive's designated team.

Approved in principle last January, the Cybersecurity Bill aims to establish a legal framework to protect the national cyberspace, combat cybercrime, and regulate the security of information networks and systems for both public and private entities.

The legislation focuses on institutional resilience and the protection of the country's digital sovereignty. MEL/VIC/DOJ