Kogi Government says concerns raised by cashew farmers in the state over multiple taxation will be addressed.
Gov. Usman Ododo, who gave the assurance at news conference in Lokoja, refuted the allegations by the Cashew Farmers and Buyers Association in the state on increment in produce grading costs.
Ododo was represented by Timothy Ojomah, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security.
The governor said that the new administration would not transact business without following due process, promising to stabilise the grading costs.
According to him, there is no multiple taxation in the state at present.
Ododo warned foreigners to desist from having direct contact with the farmers as the grading costs remained the same.
He added that whoever was taking laws into their own hands by extorting the marketers would have the government to contend with.
On his part, the spokesperson of the association, Ibrahim Adam, asked the state government to stop suffocating them with taxes.
He said that members of the association could no longer bear the burden of multiple taxes in the state.
“The Produce Inspection Department (PID) in Kogi charges the highest inspection fee in the country at ₦30,000 per truck, while other states such as Kano, Gombe, Katsina, Yobe, and others charge significantly lower fees.
“The breakdown is as follows: Kogi PID N30,000, Kano, N5000, Gombe, N5,000, Katsina, N3,000, Yobe, N2,000, Nasarawa, N20,000, Benue, N25,000, Oyo N20,000, Niger, N10,000, Bauchi, N5,000, Jigawa, N3,000, Yola, N4,000, Kaduna, N7,000, and Osun PID, N10,000.
“Other unexplained receipts, which amount to multiple taxation imposed on Kogi cashew buyers, have this breakdown of the various levies: interstate levy (AKA haulage fee), N13,000, IML, N5,000, loading and offloading fee, N12,000.
“Pass is N5,000, state environmental fee, N6,000, local government environmental fee, N5,000 and local government departmental fee, N10,000,’’ he said.
