Dimapur, June 21 (MExN): Instead of a collective fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the business community is at ‘loss and greatly disheartened’ that “multiple taxation has been going on relentlessly as before,” CNCCI alleged today.
The scenario is totally different when it comes to multiple taxation, the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI) said in a statement from its Press & Media Affairs.
The apex business body of Nagaland cited a recent release from the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) alleging huge amount of Transportation tax by various Naga Political Groups (NPGs) and other form of taxation, which is causing price rise in most parts of Nagaland.
Similarly, the Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) have flagged the taxation and extortion issue in public domain warning that such activities will not be tolerated, it said.
The CNCCI, being an apex business body of Nagaland, had received similar complaints from various other districts and has taken serious cognisance of the issue, the Confederation added.
In this connection, it also requested the public that on the issue of price rise that the question should be raised to the government and NPGs and not “always directed to the business community, who themselves are at the receiving end.”
Meanwhile, it also pointed out a recent statement made by Advisor, School Education KT Sukhalu regarding the issue.
“One can easily judge the plight of a businessman” when even the Covid fund are not being spared from taxation” as alleged by the Advisor, who is lesser ranked than Cabinet in the present government having all the resources of the state at his command expressing helplessness, it underscored.
“Hence, the CNCCI wonders whether the government has become so helpless as business community and demands that the multiple taxation should be immediately brought to check,” it added.
The Confederation further reiterated that the business community is hit hard by the pandemic from livelihood and economic point of view and struggling to survive and persistent multiple taxation at this juncture is nothing but squeezing “business community dry to death.”
“The CNCCI makes it clear and demands to all the NPGs to immediately refrain from such taxation activities and put humanity first,” it added.
Meanwhile, the CNCCI noted that the impact of COVID-19 as a pandemic is self-explanatory and none is spared.
In this global fight the business community and daily wage earners of Nagaland has been mostly hit hard from economic point of view, it said.
Despite this, the business community has put up a brave front in this fight assisting the law enforcing agencies, administration, and government in every possible manner as most of the District Chamber of Commerce being part of every District Task force in the fight against COVID-19, it added.
