Pulp paper union calls on FG to create enabling business environment

By Joy Obakeye

The Pulp, Paper and Paper Products, Printing and Publishing Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PPAPPPAPSSAN) has urged the federal government to create a conducive and enabling environment for the paper industry to thrive.

At the union’s 9th Triennial National Delegates Conference, held in Lagos, the General Secretary of PPAPPPAPSSAN, Comrade Benedict Ikegbulam disclosed that for any economy to thrive, there must be an infrastructure in place.  

“Today power which is the key factor in manufacturing is a mirage and not in existence any where in the Country. Some companies spend well over sixty million Naira (N60,000,000) a month on gas, diesel and black oil to run their plants. The consequences of this cannot be overlooked.”

He explained that the federal government must create a conducive environment for the sector to thrive by providing the necessary infrastructure like power supply and where this is not available.

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“The government should as a matter of urgency consider subsidising the cost of diesel and gas usage of the major players in the industry especially those that employ up to one thousand workers and above to enable them run their factories profitability.

Comrade Ikegbulam stressed that the  federal government should reconsider its policy on privatization of the three major paper mills,  the industries were (1). Nigerian Paper Mill Jebba (2). Iwopin Pulp Paper Ltd Iwopin and (3). Nigerian Newspaper Newsprints Manufacturing Company Oku Iboku by constituting a committee of the major stakeholders, especially  the Paper and Paper Board Manufacturers and Converters Association (PPMCA) the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers and the two unions in the industry to workout a strategy to revive the primary mills. And to seek for a way the sector can be asisted either by way of financial bailouts through grants or loans on single digit.”

“The Federal Government should prevail on the states and local Governments where these Companies operates or resides to grant some level of tax reliefs to these companies. The reliefs are inevitable at this critical time given the facts that these companies are the primary sources of reducing unemployment in the states and the local Government areas where they operate or sited.”

In a communique issued on resolutions of the conference, the President of PPAPPPAPSSAN, Dada Joseph called on the federal government to create a conducive and enabling environment for the sector to thrive.

“The Conference in-season call on the Federal Government to let the sector or the Companies have an easy access to forex as the rate of foreign exchange is very critical and crucial to the Companies. 

“The Conference in-season session want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Ministry of labour through the Registrar of Trade Unions to occasionally mediate on unresolved issues confronting the Unions by calling for either a Conference  or a meeting of the Unions in order to curb the incessant labour crisis in the Country and to  minimise inter/intra Union disputes. 

”The Conference in-season call employers in all Paper, Printing and Publishing industries in both public and private sectors of the economy to respect and apply labour laws and Court Judgement especially in respect of the National Industrial Court Judgement on the jurisdictional scope of this Association on Monday 11th May 20020.”