A petrol pump in Dimapur. The Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI) and the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) endorsed the demand for abrogation of COVID-19 cess on fuel on September 21. (Morung File Photo: For representational purposes only)
Dimapur, September 22 (MExN): The Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI) today stated that with the imposition of COVID-19 fuel cess and weight bridge, the transportation cost of essential goods has shot up by 35-40%.
“Consequently the price of essential commodity will shoot up abnormally in coming weeks in many parts of the state including the state capital,” CNCCI, Chairman, Dr Khekugha Muru and General Secretary, Dr Seyievilie Mor stated in a press statement while adding that “It is not the making of business community at its whims and fancies but due to Government policy. Therefore, the public should sympathize with the business community and make the government accountable.”
The CNCCI also affirmed that it will “out rightly support the ultimatum served to the government by civil societies to recall the COVID Cess on petroleum products.”
It stated that CNCCI from day one has question the Nagaland Government and demanded for the rollback of COVID Cess on fuel and forewarned the state government that such steps during pandemic will affect already struggling business at a scale incomprehensible and will deeply pinch the general public who are the consumers.
Accordingly as a body in Nagaland it wrote an advisory letter to Chief Minister and issued press release. However, considering the grim scenario of our health infrastructure at that time which was in shambles and with state government struggling to provide even a basic PPE kits to protect its citizens, the CNCCI took the stand of magnanimity of wait and watch, it maintained.
The Government, however, instead of removing the COVID cess has again put up a weight bridge at Dimapur for outbound vehicles to other districts limiting the load of a transport vehicle.
While the CNCCI is not against the placement of such weight bridge, the Government should ask itself whether it has any road in Nagaland that befits such stringent steps and suggest the Government to implement such fancy theoretical concept after the roads in Nagaland comes to at least bare minimum standard, it added.
DCCI: The Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) said that it “fully support the ultimatum issued to the government by various civil societies to withdraw COVID cess on petroleum products.”
The DCCI reminded the government of Nagaland that the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI) along with DCCI and Nagaland Petroleum Dealers Association were the first bodies to advice the government that extra cess on petroleum products would result in negative business environment and cause social unrest.
“The Government should know that the unpopular COVID cess on petroleum product has impacted negatively both the business community and public alike. The DCCI urges the government to rebuild the state's economy amid COVID crises rather than be a stumbling block,” it stated.
The DCCI appealed the state government to immediately roll back the COVID cess to avoid the impending crisis that is on the anvil as the entire civil society and public is against the unpopular COVID cess.
