Commissioner for Information and Communications in Kogi State, Kingsley Fanwo, on Friday explained why the state government imposed a levy on every loaf of bread sold in the city.
According to the commissioner, the move was aimed at protecting indigenous bakers from persons “who bring bread to the state without paying any form of levy”.
The reaction by the state government on Friday followed a complaint by members of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria over the levy imposed, which they considered to be harsh.
Fanwo said, “The recent letter was one of our strategies at protecting our indigenous bakers and also our economy from the activities of bakers outside the State who bring their bread to the State without paying any form of levy.
“No responsible government will sit by and watch her indigenous businesses lose the local market. Our indigenous bakers have complained bitterly about the activities of external bakers who packed their bread to the state in trucks and sell without paying anything to the state government.
“Poor sales by our bakers may lead to job losses, a situation we are determined to use legitimate means to avert.
“We assure the master bakers of our open-door policy and our readiness to keep listening to them in order to smoothen relationships and factors aiding their production as bread consumers have nothing to fear.”
