Bimbo Ashiru, Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry has declared that government is making series of economic moves to improve manufacturing activities and ease of doing business with the provision of critical infrastructure and harmonisation of tax payable to various tiers of government.
The State government made the policy statement following requests made by Wale Adegbite, Chairman of Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun State Chapter, which claim that taxes and levies requested by government agencies are killing business in addition to deteriorating condition of roads in some axes, including Agbara, Ogijo and Ota.
BusinessDay also reports that Ashiru had earlier met with Ogun State House of Assembly Committee on Commerce and Investment led by Bowale Solaja, where the Commissioner of Commerce and Industry appealed to the State House of Assembly to fasten the passage of Tax Harmonisation Bill to improve ease of doing business in the state.
Speaking on what the State government is doing on economic growth and development at the MAN 11th Quarterly Interactive Meeting with Ogun state government held in Abeokuta on Thursday, Ashiru noted that government took decision to harmonise tax and reduce incidence of multiple taxation in order to improve businesses in the state.
He said instances of multiple taxation are abound in the state which could be traceable to some touts and erring local government officers who printed fake tickets and disguise to extort haulage operators in the name of working for government, explaining that quick Passage of Tax Harmonisation Bill before the House of Assembly would improve businesses.
He said, “We have seen some cases where local government people take laws into their hands and some touts have also hijacked process of tax collection. The law that guides collection of tax is there, but these people go beyond that in order to make money, they print fake tax receipts. I have asked the Police Commissioner to start arresting them.”
While making comment on manufacturing factories that have opened shops in the last six years, Ashiru said 120 manufacturing factories had been inaugurated and are already working in the state, adding that “twenty new companies are ready for commissioning soon.”
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
