Companies operating in the food and beverage sector, under the aegis of the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) have called on the Federal Government to pass laws that will encourage manufacturing in the country.
The call was made by Mr Patrick Anegbe, the President of AFBTE, who also serves as the Managing Director of Intercontinental Distillers Limited, at the Association’s Annual General Meeting held in Lagos over the weekend.
The National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) President, Comrade Lateef Oyelekan, has advised the management of La Casera Company not to allow foreign workers take over positions that are meant for Nigerians.
The union boss gave the advice when the new Managing Director of The La Casera Company, Mr. Chinedum Okereke, visited NUFBTE executives in Lagos.
The National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) has commended the Federal Government for tackling the influx of expatriates in the country.
NUFBTE President, Comrade Lateef Oyelekan, was quoted as saying that prior to the election of President Muhammadu Buhari, the country was bedeviled with influx of foreigners, who disguised as expatriates to corner the scanty jobs meant for Nigerians, thereby making more competent Nigerians second class citizens.
The National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for suspending the proposed tariff hike on locally produced alcohol and tobacco products.
The union said that the suspension of the initial plan by the Federal Government to increase excise tariff by more than 500% on spirits, wines and tobacco products saved over 165,000 jobs.
The Federal Government will review the recent excise duty increase on locally produced alcohol, according to Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour.
In a statement signed by the ministry’s Director of Press, Samuel Olowokere on Friday in Abuja, while receiving members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Joint Employers and Workers Association on a Save Our Soul (SOS) mission, the minister said the Federal Government will review the newly introduced 500% excise duty on locally produced alcohol beverages.
Stakeholders in the food, beverage and tobacco sub-sector have called on the Federal Government to suspend its proposed increase on excise duty rates on alcoholic beverages and tobacco products which is set to go into effect on June 4, 2018.
The group said that it was with deep regret that the government was making plans to raise the excise duty rates at a time industry producers were experiencing declining volumes and contracting margins, noting that the effect of absorbing the cost of the new excise duty regime would be over-whelming on industry players.
Organised Labour has denounced the federal government’s failings to stop expatriate quota abuse by multinationals.
While speaking at the inauguration of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) newly built Kwara-Kogi-Niger Branch Union Secretariat in Ilorin, President of NUFBTE, Lateef Oyelekan, said that the government’s failure to act decisively has compounded unemployment in the country.
“Our government should take this issue of expatriate quota abuse seriously and take a decision that will be beneficial to the country just as the government of Ghana has done,” he said.
The La Casera Company, a leading soft drinks firm in the country has relaunched its eponymous Apple drink – La Casera Apple drink, a favourite among the youths.
The reintroduction of the brand received endorsements from the regulatory agencies including the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), as well as from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), distributors and consumers at the event which held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday.
President Muhammadu Buhari have assured manufacturers in the country of access to foreign exchange in order to head-off job losses. The president gave the directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to prioritize foreign exchange availability in favour of manufacturers.
CWAY Group Nigeria Limited, a food and beverage manufacturer of purified water, fruit-based milk drinks, and fruit juices, among others has been accused by its workers of maintaining an unhygienic work environment which has led to the spread of Hepatitis B among some of its workers.
