Rather than tax bread Makers who bring there product to Kogi State, a call has been made to the Government to empower indigenous bakers so that they can compete favourably with the super bakers that give us delicious and nutritious bread.
A cross section of people spoken with by the Nigerianpost, said the idea to protect indigenous master bakers is good said it was wrong for the Government not to have engaged and interacted with the master bakers before arriving at the new policy.
Presently, the cross section of the master bakers do not know that the policy is meant to protect them, lamented that no engagement was made prior to the new policy.
The Stakeholders said the State Government rather than taxing master bakers, should have created an enabling environment for businesses to strive, a role that is key to government.
The Stakeholders say a good policy that will not stifle producers of bread, a common commodity, is what is needed now and not tax, called on Government to take another look at the policy, pointing out that with the increase in staple foods like rice and others no longer affordable by citizens, adding to cost
According to those who spoke to the Nigerianpost, average business person in Nigeria is over taxed without consideration for non-provision of essential needs such as power, transport and water.
These drivers of the economy the stakeholders pointed out should have been the government priority before talking about tax, asked the Government to take another look, inview of the fact that the quality and quantity of bread made in the State is not enough and comparable to what comes into the state.
Recalled that the Kogi State Government had today said the recent levies charged bakeries is not new and not aimed at increased cost pointing out that the policy is to protect indigenous bakeries
Speaking on a news item, Kogi State Introduces Levy On Every Loaf Of Bread: Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, Commissioner for Information on his tweeter handle titiled, ” The Fact of the matter on THE BAKERY LEVIES, He said: “We have seen and read news reports about a letter from a consultant engaged by the Kogi State Government to collect bakery levies. Let us place on record that the levies are not new. Indigenous bakeries have been paying all their levies
As a Government, we have put in place tax relief measures to check those who bring their bread to the State without paying any form of levy. No responsible Government will sit by and watch her indigenous businesses lose the local market.
Our indigenous bakers have complained bitterly about the activities of external bakers who
packed their bread to the State in trucks and sell without paying anything to the State Government.
Poor sales by our bakers may lead to job losses, a situation we are determined to use legitimate means to avert.
Our indigenous bakers have complained bitterly about the activities of external bakers who packed to the State Government in compliance to our revenue law.
The recent letter was one of our strategies at protecting our Indigenous bakers and also protect our economy from the activities of bakers outside the State…
The Kogi state government had recently introduced a levy on every loaf of bread baked in the state.
The State Ministry of commerce and industry said the levy is aimed at improving the internally generated revenue.
But the state chapter of the Association of Master bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN) on Thursday said that the bakers are against the levy.
An executive member of the association simply identified as Godfirst said the association has begun moves to meet with the consultant the state charged with collecting the fee.
Godfirst said they received a memo from the ministry imposing a levy to be paid “on each loaf of bread” produced.
“The letter was sent to us that a consultant has been given the job to generate fund from bakery to state government; to generate revenue to (for the) state government,” he said.
“We are trying to meet with the consultant but we have not been able to meet with him. We want to meet with him to give us more explanation.”
He said bakers in the state are experiencing hardship occasioned by the pandemic and will not be able to meet the new demand.
“We are not happy about it, presently there is no market. We are facing different types of challenges, and if they are now asking us to pay another tax, we don’t know how we can cope,” he said.