In a hard-hitting statement, Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has vowed that it will not tolerate extortion in the market and that the general public consider its stand as prior information that MCCI will rather shut the doors of business rather than pay extortions.
MCCI also cautioned police and law enforcement agencies not to be caught off guard by the development.
According to MCCI, at a time when Mokokchung was reeling under the impact of the Covid pandemic and barely able to keep the wheels of the economy in motion and at a time when the business environment was abruptly disrupted with traders forced to bear the brunt of prolonged lockdowns and all traders and daily wage earners in dire straits; “ there are some gun toting scroungers trying to pillage the market and loot innocent, hardworking, productive citizens- the business community.”
MCCI said numerous factions were”coercing traders” to pay ‘tax’ while some of them were vying to levy “item-wise tax” or whatever it meant. MCCI said Mokokchung was not a formal market and also not a board game where any can bend the rules at will.