From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Federal Government to pay attention to non-oil and gas sectors to grow the nation’s economy.
Speaking at the 39th Annual General Meeting(AGM) and exhibition held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, chapter chairman of MAN, Vincent Okuku, said the association is still plagued with challenges resulting to underdevelopment.
He said giving support to MAN will drive sustainable growth in industrialisation in the South-South region and the country at large.
Okuku called on the Federal Government to pay special attention to the manufacturing sector, develop roads, rail and waterways exports.
He said: “It is important that government should focus on key sectors like the manufacturing sector, by providing conductive environment for investors.”
Meanwhile, MAN has charged the Rivers State government to set up the State Investment Promotion Office necessary to actualise the industrialisation agenda of Federal Government.National President of MAN, Mr. Otunba Meshioye, gave the charge when he spoke at a two-day AGM of the Association and called on the governors of South-South to harmonise taxes to make it easier for investors in the states.
He stated: “I want to talk on the issue of taxes. We want the state governors to look into the issue of multiplication of taxes. There is the need to harmonise taxes in these states and make it easier for manufacturers.”
He, however, called for a closer relationship between state governments in the South-South and the association, so as to restore the full confidence of investors in the area.
Speaking further, Meshioye appealed to Federal Government to take steps towards the transformation of the Port Harcourt and Onne seaports, to restore their full potentials.
According to him, the consequences of the recent reform measures, pronouncements and policies of the Federal Government made the AGM mandatory to engage partners and government on sensitive issues.
He said some of the recent reforms were the removal of fuel subsidy, structure of the narrative rates and the increase in monetary policy rate.
Ends.