Cashew farmers and buyers in Kogi, under the aegis of the Farmers Forum of Nigeria (FFN), have called on Governor Usman Ododo to intervene in alleged multiple taxation and extortion.
The forum in a statement by its spokesperson, Ibrahim Adam, on Monday, alleged that there was a plot to increase the produce payment on cashews from N30,000 to N90,000 by the agents of the state government.
Adam said that the farmers and buyers of cashew products were being suffocated and could no longer bear the burden of multiple taxation and undue harassment by the state agents.
The forum spokesman also called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the federal ministry of agriculture to address multiple-taxation.
According to him, the produce inspection department (PID) in Kogi charges the highest inspection fee in the country at N30,000 per truck, while other states charge significantly lower fees. He listed Kano, Gombe, Katsina, Yobe, Yola, Nasarawa, and Benue as charging significantly lower fees than Kogi.
According to him, Kogi PID charges N30,000, while Kano charges N5000; Gombe N5,000; Katsina N3,000; Yobe N2,000; Yola N4,000; Jigawa N3,000; Kaduna N7,000; Bauchi N5,000; Nasarawa N20,000, and Benue, 25,000.
He also expressed concern over other unexplained receipts and levies, which amount to multiple taxation imposed on Kogi cashew buyers.
“These are interstate levy (also known as haulage fee) N13,000, IML N5,000, loading and offloading fee N12,000, pass N5,000, state environmental fee N6,000, local government environmental fee N5,000, and local government departmental fee N10,000.
“All these levies are from Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue.
“There are also numerous roadblocks under the auspices of produce extorting motorists and harassing drivers and buyers carrying these goods cashew from farm gate carrying to the warehouse for sale,” he said.
Adam also appealed to Ododo to promptly rein in its internally generated revenue head and reconsider plans to impose more taxes on cashew products.
These plans, according to him, contradict the ease of doing business and deter foreign buyers and investors and impoverish the farmers.
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