The leadership of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers Association, Nnewi, Anambra State has vowed to resist excessive governement taxation, if both Federal and State authorities have no plans to reduce it.
The newly elected President of the association, Mr Austin Jideofor disclosed this at Nkwo Nnewi market, yesterday, after an election which returned him unopposed to serve for another tenure of four years.
Mr Jideofor said that both Federal and State governements had continued to make unfavourable policies that had affected the progress of the importers.
“Our major challenges are unfavourable governement policies especially by the State. They impose heavy taxation on us without any consideration as if we have committed any atrocity for being importers.
“We will continue to engage the governement. It can’t be business as usual this time. The policies of the Anambra State government against the importers are very disheartening.
“In Nnewi today, you have too many governement taskforce operators working for governement as revenue agents. When you go to your warehouse to drop goods, you pay tax, while bringing in the containers, you pay tax, in everything you do.This is too bad. Where does that happen?
“Some of the touts in the name of revenue agents come through the back doors to harass us thinking that we are the illiterate traders of yesterday.
“Today, we are sound with intellectual capacity. With understanding and togetherness, we can move mountains, “Mr Jideofor said.
He requested that the Anambra State government should look into the system to correct what he described as unnecessary burden and harassment to the importers. He noted that all the agencies were on a journey to destroy good intentions of the State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo for the people.
He said that a lot of touts had invaded Anambra State revenue collection in Nnewi and assured that the importers would take drastic measures to stop them.
On piracy, Jideofor said the association was not sleeping over it, adding that the war against piracy at Nkwo Nnewi had been intensive under his watch and would continue to increase in tempo.
“We are fighting piracy because if we don’t, we will sink. Everybody needs to protect his product and that’s the only way we can grow. We won’t allow any pirate to succeed as far as this administration is concerned, “he vowed.
He promised that his administration in the second tenure would not relent in offering quality services and all-inclusive leadership.
He named some of the achievements of the association under his watch in the first tenure to include purchase and construction of a building that now belonged to the importers to stop hiring places for programmes, protection of members from intimidation and harassment in the course of doing their legitimate businesses.
In his statement, the electoral officer, Nzeakonobi Umeh Alphonsus expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the election which he declared free, fair and credible.
Nze Alphonsus said there were candidates for all other offices in the association during the election except the office of the President.
He said even though the floor was open in October this year for members to show expression of interest but none came out to challenge Mr Jideofor who was eventually returned unopposed. He noted that it showed members were satisfied with his first tenure.
Others elected were the Vice President, Ekene Ebubedike; Secretary, Origbo Uchenna; Public Relations Officer, Ikenna Nwachi, among others.
