The Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) Osun State chapter has described as “too high” the different charges being collected by the state government.
The Association therefore solicits the intervention of the the state Governor, Rauf Aregbesola in the harmonization of the different collections, taxes, and rates by both states and Local Government.
NASME chairman in the state Evangelist Femi Ayedun said many SMEs are shutting down due to their inability to pay these various charges.
He spoke at a one day investment seminar organized by the Bank of Industry, held in Osogbo, the state Capital.
Mr Ayedun appealed to the Governor to, in addition to the harmonization, reduce the prices of all the rates to the barest minimum, or approve a tax holiday for SME in the state.
“Another area through which the SMEs are soliciting the intervention Of Governor Aregbesola is the harmonization of different collections, taxes, and rates by both State and Local Government. Some of these rates are too high for us to bear, especially at this period of recession.
In actual fact, some SMEs are closing down and since we do not all wind down, we are soliciting that all these rates are harmonized and reduced to the barest minimum or better still approve a tax holiday for SMEs in the state”.
He further Laments the amount of difficulty SMEs usually encounter in perfecting their their land titles, noting that access to loans without C of O becomes impossible without it.
Ayedun implored the state government to look into the problems being faced in the collection to make access to loans easy for their members.
“Without much rhetoric, the Small Medium Enterprises (SME) will appreciate the timely perfection of our land titles. In other to access loans, certificate of Occupancy is key to banks and Finance houses. But, presently, perfection of land titles is getting extremely worrisome. We were jostling for joy when O c’ of O was launched, but we are yet to see its fruition. We would appreciate if you (Governor Aregbesola) can have a second look, so that our members can have access to loan with which their industries will be boosted”
