Enugu Assembly charges companies to sponsor bills, motions on ease of doing business

The Enugu State House of Assembly has charged companies and business owners in the state to sponsor bills and motions that would promote ease of doing business in Enugu.

The Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Industry, Mr. Innocent Ugwu made the call in Enugu on Thursday when the committee visited Seven-Up Bottling Company PLC on a familiarisation tour.

Ugwu urged them to feel free to bring any bill that would promote investments in Enugu to the assembly assuring them of accelerated hearing.

The committee chairman also said that government would continue to provide enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state.

He however, urged the company to consider indigenes of the state in the area of employment as well as introduce cooperate social responsibility in their programmes.

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Ugwu said that Enugu state doors were always open for anybody who would wish to come and invest in the state.

He said that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi led administration had made security of lives and property topmost priority in the state.

The committee chairman urged the General Manager to give them the over view of the company to enable them proffer solution on how to better the company.

He promised to put up a bill or motion that would back whatever they were doing to make them partners in progress.

While responding, the General Manger Seven-Up Bottling Company PLC, Mr. Segun Ajala said that they started the company in 1959 but their operations started in Nigeria in Oct. 1, 1960.

He said that they started  Enugu plant in 2003 noting that their brands was 7up, Pepsi, Mirinda, Mountain dew, Team soda, Team lemon and others.

“Our products are taking mostly by youths and our vision is to be the most admired company in Nigeria.

“We work with pleasure, passion and pride in order to achieve the desired result.

“We have our plants in 10 locations including Abuja; we have in Aba, Enugu, Benin, Ibadan, Ikeja, Kaduna, and Kano and others.

“In Enugu State, the total number of our staff is 162 and out of the work force Enugu indigenes are 31 per cent of the entire staff,” he said.

Ajala pointed out that their major challenge was excess taxation, noting that the land use charge law increased their tax by over 100 per cent.

The GM explained that their tax increased from N1.5m to N9m annually, noting that it was really affecting them considering the numerous work forces.

He explained that the product was not the type they could wake up and just increase the price.