ENUGU – The Chairman of the Table Water Producers Association of Nigeria in Enugu State, Mr Blessed Okonkwo, has appealed to the state government to address the multiple taxation on its members.Okonkwo made the appeal in Enugu on Wednesday during a sensitisation workshop for stakeholders in the water sector.
He said that members of the association had long grappled with the issue of taxation, adding that such had eroded their profitability.
He said that multiple taxes were levied on them by both the state and local governments and urged the government to streamline such charges to make the business climate conducive.
Okonkwo listed the levies charged by the state government annually to include ESWAMA N48,000, vehicle permits N9000, NESREA N115,000, effluent N30,000 and development levy N30,000.
Others are fumigation N30,000 (quarterly) and business premises, N150,000.
He listed the levies charged by the local government authorities as factory permit N6000, and development levy N6000 while the Standards Organisation of Nigeria charged N10,000 quarterly.
“We want to cooperate with the state government because the governor is doing well and as responsible citizens, we need to discharge our civic obligations.
“But we appeal to the government to streamline these charges and give us one single receipt for these charges,” he said.
He said the state government had done well in supporting small and medium industries, noting that it would be counter-productive if such levies persisted.
Okonkwo said that most table water producers in the state had since closed due to heavy taxes.
Reacting, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr Michael Nwachukwu, said the government would look into the matter with a view to addressing it.
“Our government is responsible and cannot be encouraging entrepreneurs on one hand and destroying them on the other hand.
“The changes we are experiencing in the system are continuous and we shall keep dialoguing until we reach agreement,” he said.
Nwachukwu said the government would streamline the charges “but it will take time”.
The Enugu State Water Corporation (Amendment) Law, 2004 prescribes N10,000 as license for registered sachet water producing companies and annual renewal fee of N5000.
The same law prescribes N20,000 as license for bottled water producing companies and annual renewal fee of N10,000.
Licences for limited liability sachet water producing companies is N35,000 with annual renewable fee of N30,000 while the licence for bottled water limited liability companies is N50,000 with annual renewable fee of N40,000. (NAN)
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