The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria has issued a stern ultimatum to the Federal government, threatening to suspend its nationwide services from February 27 if the government fails to honor its 2020 agreement with the association.
This agreement includes the implementation of financial support palliatives promised to bakers as part of post-COVID-19 support programs for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
The association is demanding immediate action on various fronts, including the promised financial support for bakers who have suffered significant losses, suspension of all taxation on the bakery industry at federal, state, and local government levels, and the liberalization of flour and sugar importation.
In a statement delivered by the Kogi State Chairman of the association, Chief Gabriel Adeniyi, on behalf of the National President, Alhaji Mansur Umar, the AMBCON cited the steep rise in the prices of baking materials such as flour, sugar, and oil, attributed to subsidy removal and forex deregulation, as the main reasons for their impending strike action.
The association also highlighted grievances such as multiple taxations from various government agencies, increased business costs, and the absence of favorable conditions for doing business in Nigeria. Their demands extend to the reduction or elimination of import duties on essential baking materials, provision of concessional forex exchange to stakeholders, and the reduction of tariffs on imported wheat and sugar.
Furthermore, AMBCON is calling for initiatives to boost local cultivation and processing of wheat and sugar cane, along with the removal of multiple taxations across all levels of government. They advocate for the establishment of a price control and monitoring committee, as well as other measures aimed at improving the business environment in Nigeria.
