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By Nasir Kura
Officials of the Miners Association of Nigeria on Friday had a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari over multiple taxes and disruption of mining activities by government agencies.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents, national president of the association, Mr. Sani Shehu, said miners in the country face interference, poor funding, lack of proper mechanisation for operations and multiple taxation.
He said the association was happy that the President has giving matching orders to the authorities concerned to articulate concerns raised by the miners.
He said the association has proposed fiscal regime for the mining sector so that all payment would be synchronized into one platform.
Also speaking, Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Bawa Bwari, said the federal government is committed to encouraging mining activities in the country.
He said: “The miners Association of Nigeria seek for a courtesy call to Mr. President and he granted it. This is historic because this is the first time Miners Association of Nigeria has been received by a president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“They came to commend the President for what we have done in the mining sector. Government is putting in place some incentives that are encouraging mining activities in Nigeria.
“They came to show their appreciation and also to complain about what they are encountering, especially in states where state governments are charging them multiple taxes and some of their activities are disrupted by state government agencies.
“In fact, sometimes their mines are closed down. This, we are talking with the state governments involved. We intend to take up this matter at the National Economic Council (NEC); where state governments should know their limits and they should know they are also beneficiaries of whatever mining activities is going on because, 13 percent derivation is supposed to go to state governments for mining activities taking place there.”
