The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria has stated that if the Federal government fail to implement the agreement reached with the association in 2020, it would withdraw its services nationwide beginning from February 27.
The Association which called for the immediate suspension of all forms of taxation on the bakery industry at the federal, state and local government levels, also urged the federal government to redeem its promise by swiftly implementing the financial support palliatives for bakers meant to cushion the devastating impact of the post COVID-19 support programmes for Small and Medium Enterprises for bakers who have lost over 40 per cent of their membership and still counting.
In a statement issued by the National President of AMBCON, Alhaji Mansur Umar, read on his behalf by the Kogi State Chairman of the association, Chief Gabriel Adeniyi, on Tuesday 13 February, noted that the decision to halt its services was due to the “multifarious increase in the prices of baking materials such as flour, sugar, yeast, vegetable oil, petrol, diesel all occasioned by subsidy removal and forex deregulation.”
The statement added in parts; “Multiple taxations from several federal, state, local government agencies fees and levies, hike in business activities in Nigeria are also some of the reasons for the impending strike action.
The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria have critically accessed the state of our business operation, consequently demand the liberalization of flour and sugar importation, reduction or total removal of import duties on major baking materials such as flour, sugar, butter, yeast etc as applicable to other commodities as have recently been done by the federal government and Provision of concessionary forex exchange to flour millers and other stakeholders as well as reduction of tariff on imported wheat and sugar”.
While calling for the setting up of a price control and monitoring committee as allowed by the constitution as amended and other conditions that will improve the ease of doing business in the country, the Association also demanded for the development of cultivation and processing of wheat and sugar cane in Nigeria, and the removal of multiple taxations at all government levels.
