The Nigeria Labour Congress has asked the Federal Government to rescind the decision to re-introduce excise duties on non-alcoholic and carbonated drinks. It also asked the National Assembly to amend a section of the Finance Act 2022 that re-introduced excise duties on non-alcoholic and carbonated drinks. The Congress noted that the argument for the government to rescind the decision becomes even more compelling when the projected immediate revenue expected from the policy is weighed against the potential long-term loss to both manufacturers and government.
The NLC noted that the beverage sub-sector will lose 40 per cent which it said translated to N1.9 trillion of its current sales revenue. In a statement signed by its National President, Ayuba Wabba on Friday in Abuja, the NLC urged the Federal Government to engage employers in the sub-sector and organized labour in sincere discussions on other options that can deliver a mutually satisfying win-win solution on the issue. The Congress added that it hope that the current situation will not be allowed to degenerate into a breakdown in industrial relations in the sector and generally in the country.
