Bakers ascribe high wheat tariff, taxes as cause of increase in bread

·         advocates cassava, potato inclusion..... 

 

The National President, Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN) Mr. Ishaq Abdulkareem has said high wheat tariff by Federal Government (FG) and unchecked taxes across the states of the federation are the cause of hike in the price of bread with other confectionaries, just as he posited the inclusion of cassava and potato flours as a means to checkmate import bill expended on wheat.

He disclosed this on ‘’Nigeria Info’’ Saturday morning during the crossfire programme.

Mr. Ishaq Abdulkareem pointed that the high tariff placed on wheat and other composite ingredients for making bread and other bakeries has been the reason why the prices of all these food items are going up despite millions that consume them daily in the country.

The bakers’ president described the 15% tariff charges on imported wheat as being too high, saying it is already biting too hard on his members as the issue has been reported to the Federal Government through the appropriate ministry.

He said "We had a meeting with the FG, through the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment (FMITI) on how tariff and multiple taxations are fast increasing the price of bread and its other raw materials"  

Abdulkareem said the current wheat production level of 500,000 metric ton is too low to meet the national demand for bakery consumptions in the country, pointed that the crop being a strategic crop required that the farmers be well supported through capacity building for the purpose of more cultivations. 

  He also stressed the need for cassava and potato flours percentage inclusion in the bakery of bread to reduce import bill on wheat, and as well to ensure availability and affordability through price reduction for the masses.

The president now advised bakers to ensure standard production that would not attract National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) N500.000 fine of being adding ingredients that are dangerous to human’s health like saccharine and bromated most people use to substitute sugar for its high prices.

Mr. David Dogo on the programme also condemned the duplication of functions being carried out by both NAFDAC and Standard Organization f Nigeria (SON), saying these actions are negatively affecting the productivity of bread in Nigeria.

 

Dogo said that "recently SON came to the office to demand for loaves of bread for testing in their laboratory, meanwhile you can't start this business without having your product tested by NAFDAC. So why is SON calling for another testing if not to ask for another money".

He asked for agricultural policy and implementation that would favour wheat, cassava and potato productivity to ensure affordable bread price for the masses .