Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has condemned the imposition of tax on loaves of bread produced in the state, his deputy Edward Onoja said in a statement on Saturday.
The state government had hired a consultant Musag Enterprises to levy bakers and caterers for every loaf of bread and confectionery they produce in the state. The collection of the levy was billed to commence on Monday.
But Onoja said the governor was not privy to the consultancy agreement between the ministry and a private firm.
“For the records, neither the governor nor the state executive council has imagined or proposed such a devilish tax regime, how much less imposing same on any food or essential commodity, not to mention bread which is a table staple and the basic lifeline of many a household,” the statement read.
The deputy governor said Bello directed him to personally debunk the news to underscore how serious government considered the disinformation.
He reiterated that “no extra financial burden will apply for the time being on citizens and assured that any business which has met the regulatory requirements for doing business in Kogi State including payment of routine tax is entitled to operate freely, and that includes bakeries and bread traders.”
