National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees, NUFBTE, weekend, blamed multiple taxation and excise duties for the high costs of beverages and other locally manufactured products.

NUFBTE also lamented the unfavourable situation, saying it forced many companies to leave Nigeria for neighbouring countries.

Speaking in Lagos during a send-forth ceremony in his honour, former President of the association, Mr. Lateef Oyelekan, argued that multiple taxations were an obstacle to manufacturers in the food sector, noting that it adversely affected production costs.

Oyelekan said: “We had challenges in the food sector on multiple taxation and multiple excise duty. Given this, we wrote to the Federal Government saying it was affecting us because it increased production costs which also affected prices.

“Due to the price increase, there was a demand reduction. We knew that with the way events were unfolding, it would affect our members, so we cried to them, particularly the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila and Aminu Suleiman, who promised that something would be done about it.