- Harmonise Taxes, Fix Bad Roads, Manufacturers Tell Amosun
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State branch on Thursday listed bad roads, multiple taxes and levies and dearth of other facilities as some of the major things adversely affecting the smooth operation of business of member companies in the state.
They made this known during their 33rd Annual General Meeting held in Abeokuta, where new executive members were elected.
The manufacturers came from Agbara-Atan, Sango- Ota, Iperu, Abeokuta, Sagamu among others.
Speaking through the outgoing Chairman, Mr Wale Adegbite, who later relinquished his position to Mr Seleem Adegunwa, MAN said apart from paying taxes to the federal and state governments, its members still had to contend with levies from officials from local government and local development councils.
Adegbite noted that there was the need for the state government to harmonise the taxes and levies by hastening the passage of the bill on the harmonisation of taxes and levies currently before the state House of Assembly.
He also raised the issue of water abstraction regulation, which he said the manufacturers in the state were equally contending with.
Giving his report for the outgoing year, Adegbite said, “The business environment in Ogun State was characterised by exorbitant demands from the Ministry of Environment and the State Environmental Protection Agency on issues such as construction of effluent treatment plants and air pollution abatement measures, especially by steel companies. Many companies were threatened with being sealed up and some were sealed for reasons related to the two issues.
“Local governments and Local Council Development Areas also contributed to the tense business environment in the state by serving on members unsubstantiated and illegal demand notices which members were asked to disregard.
“The bad state of roads in the state, especially within Agbara and Ota led to series of accidents involving trucks of member companies, resulting in loss of goods, time and money.”
At a breakfast meeting held with the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, they appealed to the governor to fix the bad roads, especially in the Agbara axis.
Adegbite added that during the year under review due to high cost or running business, some member companies had to retrench their workers and some suspended operations.
The Governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Bimbo Ashiru, said his administration was committed to creating enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
In his own keynote address, the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, said the bill on the harmonisation before the House had passed second reading, promising members would hasten work on its passage.
