Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI) has once again flagged the issue of multiple taxations and demanded that all Naga political groups (NPGs) should immediately refrain from such taxation activities and put humanity first.
Referring to a Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) statement recently alleging transportation tax by various NPGs and other forms of taxation causing price escalation in most parts of Nagaland and Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) flagging taxation, along with extortion and its warning not to tolerate such activities, CNCCI in a press release claimed that, being an apex business body of Nagaland, it received similar complaints from various other districts and taken serious cognisance of the matter.
It appealed to the public to raise the question of price rise with the state government and NPGs and not directed this to the business community, who themselves were at the receiving end.
CNCCI said one could easily judge the plight of a businessman when even Covid funds were not being spared from taxation, as alleged by School Education adviser KT Sukhalu, who was no lesser ranked than cabinet minister in the government having all resources and manpower of the State at his command and yet was expressing helplessness. Hence, the trade body wondered whether the government had become so helpless like the business community, and demanded that multiple taxations should be immediately checked.
While reminding that the business community, including the daily wage earners, had been hit hard by Covid-19 pandemic and struggling to survive, CNCCI termed the persistent multiple taxation at this juncture as “sucking business community dry to death”.
But, despite being pushed to the edge, it claimed that the business community put up a brave front in this fight assisting the law enforcing agencies, administration and government in every possible manner as most district chambers of commerce were part of every district task force (DTF).
Besides being part of the DTFs and assisting various government agencies, CNCCI pointed out that the business community was braving the pandemic and exposing themselves to ensure that essential commodities were available so that no family slept hungry.
“Imagine a scenario if the business community had hid themselves at the comfort of their homes like the rest for fear of being infected. What will be the plight of the public?” the release asked.
However, CNCCI said the business community was at a loss and greatly disheartened that instead of joining hands and help each other in the collective fight against Covid-19 pandemic, the scenario was totally different vis-à-vis multiple taxation that, it alleged, was going on relentlessly as before.