My people, you don hear am? The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) don come drop serious gist about sugar tax wey dem dey propose for Nigeria. According to dem, this sugar tax go just dey bring wahala for our manufacturing sector and jobs.
Chief Muda Yusuf, wey be the CEO of CPPE, talk say instead of adding more taxes, make we focus on health education for the people. Dem say diabetes and all those gbege wey dey follow am no go change because of say we go tax sweet drinks. E go only dey make life harder for wey go dey sell those drinks.
No be small thing o! CPPE don reason am well, they say if we dey face poor diet, no exercise, and bad lifestyle, taxing sugar no go solve di issues wey dey ground. Dem come warn say this sugar tax go make Nigerians suffer more with high prices for products wey we fit buy.
CPPE dey call for community health programs, encouragement for people to dey waka more, and make we dey eat more fruits and vegetables instead of all this sugar tax kwik solution wey go carry wahala come. Wetin make sense pass e be say we need proper policies wey go fit tackle di problem from di roots.
As if sey na dem alone wey dey carry the burden, beverage companies don dey suffer under heavy taxes wey dey dem neck already. Dem dey pay everything from Company Income Tax to Value Added Tax, excise duty, and multiple other levies wey dey take plenty money from dem. E mean say we dey push them closer to poverty, no be joke o.
The way wey dem don structure di whole matter now, if dem go add sugar tax, people wey dey work for this industry fit lose dem jobs, and na food wey dem dey produce go become scarce and expensive. Di poor wey dey manage go need to look for better way to survive.
Based on wetin CPPE talk, dem don see that over the past 2 years, prices of non-alcoholic beverages don already rise by 50%. Talkless of when dem go add more tax! Na wetin go happen? People no go fit buy again, and all di criticism wey dey come from other countries no represent our levels for here.
Dem dey insist say instead of making life hard for the people, make government try dey find better solutions wey fit promote healthy living without adding pressure on honest manufacturers wey dey try keep the economy moving. E dey clear say prevention fit carry us farther than that sugar tax wey no realistic. Make we shine our eyes, join hand to make Nigeria better, no be add more wahala!
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
