From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), has lamented the huge expenditure on the exportation of cotton.
NACOTAN President, Anibe Achimugu, in a communique, yesterday after a 2-day summit and expo organised in Abuja, said the members of the association must join forces with Nigeria Export Promotion Council to halt the trend.
He said: “NACOTAN must follow up urgently on the offer made by NEPC to support cotton by reducing exportation costs using the instrument of the Export Expansion Grant (EEG).”
Achimugu called on the Federal Government to revive the textile and garment sub-sectors, by sustaining the Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP).
Also, he appealed to the military and paramilitary to patronise the CTG sector in sourcing of fabrics, uniforms, and blankets for soldiers and prisoners.
“Federal and State governments must be made aware of the need and importance of support to Nigerian Cotton Farmers and Cotton Ginners.
“Government must do everything to revive the Textile and Garment Sub-sectors. “Cotton Farming must be provided High Volume Instrument (HVI) for rapid testing of important cotton quality parameters.
“Government must be made aware of the need to continue with the Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP) in cotton farming, while NACOTAN commits to continue to pursue recoveries of loans given to farmers through the ABP,
“The sudden stoppage of the ABP after just two years created problems of continuity.
“NACOTAN must alert the Government/CBN of the need to ‘fine-tune the programme to run for at least five (5) years in order that the full impact of the programme can be seen.
“NACOTAN must as a matter of priority, convince the need to pay the outstanding balance of input suppliers and service providers who executed their contracts fully but whose payments have been put on hold since year 2020. “NACOTAN must urgently sensitise the military and paramilitary on the need to patronise the CTG Sector in their sourcing of fabrics, uniforms and blankets for soldiers and prisoners
“The Bank of Industry (BOI) must be commended for their support of the CTG sector so far. But must be appealed to, to continue their support which has helped and will continue to help keep the doors of Industry players opened till date,” he said.
He added that revamping cotton, textile and garment sector is hinged on reducing smuggling at the borders, which he said government must provide a more aggressive control by setting up anti-smuggling Task Force at all points of our borders
According to him, federal and state governments must, as a matter of urgency, eliminate multiple taxation on CTG industries and products.
“A small Committee (comprising 5-7 members) be constituted as a matter of urgency, by NACOTAN to do an urgent follow-up with the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment as to where certain policies (itemized below), stand as a fall out of the program or as a brief to the Hon. Minister of State,” he submitted.
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