RESTAURANT PROPRIETOR IN JOS DECRIES GOVERNMENT NEGLET

By Odante Ugante

An alarm over the unfriendly atmosphere being created by Plateau state government which has created double taxation and continues to draw private business owners into limbo has been raised. The alarm was raised by the Managing Director of the New Beach Restaurant Jos, Chief Okunonke Mike in an interview with selected Journalists in Jos today.

Chief Okunonke

Chief Mike also said that business owners in Jos no longer enjoy government patronage in the state as contracts even for the supply of foods during seminars and training workshops has been taken from those in catering business and given to close relatives of government officials .

" This development is bad and telling on members of business community in Jos. I have been in Jos for over 30 years and I must tell you that the situation becomes worse at the inception of this democratic dispensation in 1999”. He said.

According to him, every Democratic government in Plateau state has what it wants to achieve and how it wants to go about it.

" I still remember those days when contract for food supply for government agencies whenever they have seminars was always given to us but these days, the government has created unfriendly atmosphere by refusing to patronize us. The only time you see government agents here is when they come for payment of tax and other revenue. "he noted.

Mike lamented that the Plateau state government has refused to encourage them by way of patronage despite the fact that they are employers of labour and also contributed in raising the revenue base of the state by paying their taxes promptly.

He maintained that government cannot generate revenue when food is prepared from streets or people’s homes, “but for us, we operate in offices well located with addresses for easy access. Now, the point is that, how do you want business owners to generate funds to pay tax when government give all the jobs to close relatives., of the country to begin to think of how to venture into businesses that would earn them a living rather than You want tax from one you must also patronize the person.” He however called on citizens depending on government to do everything for me. He also called on all to give support to the current administration in the state.