Major manufacturing concerns within Agbara, western out sketch of Lagos relying on Lagos-Badagry Expressway have raised alarm of urgent industrial importance, calling for early delivery of the road to save their businesses.
Speaking in an interview with journalists’ weekend, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Technoglass Industries Limited, Mr John Aluya, said apart from being the generators of the power we use, “We build our own roads. We cannot do this and compete with products that come from the rest of the world”.
In recent times, several glass firms including Technoglass, which relying on the glass sand, a key raw material for glass manufacturing in Ogun State, the state of the roads has been a great minus for distributors who lose finished goods due to gallops and potholes while driving on highways.
According to him, “The transport situation is a problem, coupled with the chaotic situation at the ports”.
Aluya argued that “As long as we keep being a mini-government, we will continue to face competition challenge.”
Though he agreed that manufacturers currently have a minimal challenge with import duties because of the Import Adjustment Tax that made allowance for goods that could be produced locally, he cautioned that “when there was an adjustment in tariff from the Federal Government, it should be communicated to all the agencies of government in all the states”.
“Implementation is another problem. Whatever tariff comes from the government should be communicated to all sectors and agencies of the government. When you go to the Customs, they will just tell you that they don’t know about the adjustment. They will ask you to pay first and if you don’t, your goods will lie there and accumulate demurrage,” Technoglass boss decried.