The leadership of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun State chapter has raised an issue of urgent industry importance, decrying that time has come to end frivolous tax regimes in the state or factories will be forced to relocate forthwith.
In his presentation at the 34th Annual General Meeting of the body in Abeokuta, the state chairman, MAN, Mr Seleem Adegunwa expressed anger on the meaning of some unexplainable state taxes including Water abstraction/borehole charges, and some other levies imposed on its members of MAN in the state.
He disclosed that the sudden upsurge of annoying tax regimes is inimical to business growth. Speaking on the theme; ‘The Manufacturing Sector: An integral part of making Ogun State the Industrial Hub of Nigeria,’ Adegunwa disclosed that “Individual manufacturing company in the state were billed water abstraction/borehole charges ranging between N2m and N450m by the state Ministry of Environment on a yearly basis”.
While recalling that former administration in the state maintained a hard stand on the matter, he called on the present regime to discontinue the charges as part of drives for ease of doing business.
He further hinted that another humongous tax recently introduced by the state government called the unified trucks drivers’ ticket which was smuggled in as new haulage ticket and being imposed on MAN members by agents of government.
According to him, “MAN and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) had jointly instituted a legal action against the state government during last administration.”