THE Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), on Tuesday, urged the government to provide enabling environment for businesses to thrive, towards achieving economic growth.Speaking at the 25th anniversary of MAN's Edo/Delta and the yearly general meeting, its president, Kola Jamodu said manufacturers have continued to battle against government's policy inconsistency, erratic power supply, multiplicity of taxes and levies, high cost of funds, bureaucratic bottle necks and insecurity.Jamodu, who was represented by Vice-President (West) Austin Lazarus Asimonye, said the government should accelerate the implementation of the recently reviewed industrial incentives, as such gesture would rejuvenate and boost the growth of the non oil sector.He said the government should also review the body's proposal on corporate tax, export expansion grant, stimulus package for ailing industries and ban on importation of goods that can be produced locally.'Having stated the above, I want to congratulate the Edo/Delta branch of MAN for its 25 years of existence. The resilience of the Nigeria Industries to have survived in past 25 years in the midst of very harsh operating environment is also commendable.'The darkest days are over and I believe that the government is now more positioned to synergize with the organised private sector to move our economy forward by doing the needfulJamodu charged the governments of Edo and Delta states to evolveagricultural policy on rubber and oil palm plantations, grant subsidy to the farmers who would engage in rubber and oil palm plantation in the various states, urgently delineate industrial zones and parks in all the local governments of the two states with provision of access roads, power, water and other infrastructural in such parks.The states, according to him, should also immediately develop the major industrial parks already earmarked in Asaba and Benin City many years ago by the governments of Delta and Edo States.He also commended Enternit Nigeria Limited, Sapele, for the donation of this new ultra modern secretariat building, popularly called Modular building in Benin City, while calling on Edo and Delta State Governments to help the association in completing the main Secretariat building, which has taken off already, but stalled for lack of adequate funds.The Chairman of MAN in Edo and Delta State, Humphrey Masodje said that the scale of infrastructural updating and relative peace now existing in the states brightened the prospects of a more conducive business environment.'More importantly, given the increasing accent on the need for good governance and profitable government policies, MAN in Edo and Delta is very hopeful on the future barring the absence of any intervening untoward variable in the political system.Today, we are glad that 35 youths, who were recruited for a training course in the production of some house hold items including inverter have completed their 12 months training course.
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