Stakeholders Seek Unified Digital Taxation for Livestock Sector

James Emejo in Abuja

Stakeholders under the umbrella of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee (PLRIC) have urged the federal government to float a unified digital taxation for the sector.
They also called for streamlining of regulations to avoid overlap to support investment in the sector.
These were part of recommendations contained in a communique issued at the end of a two-day consultative workshop to find lasting solutions to challenges in the sector.
PLRIC also called on Presidential Tax Reform Committee to consider their recommendations to boost investments in sub-sector.
Headed by former President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Attahiru Jega, the stakeholders, comprising 400 expert groups, businesses and academia, advocated stricter measures should be implemented to curb smuggling, while regulated importation should be allowed to stabilise supply.  
They urged the federal government to strengthen the existing National Animal Identification and Traceability (NAIT) system to address insecurity and market standards for livestock products.    
The gathering also identified the supply of grains, forage, pasture and animal feeds as areas the government must pay attention to attract the needed investment in the livestock business.
They stressed that to mitigate the challenges confronting the livestock business in the country, stricter measures should be implemented to curb smuggling, while regulated importation should be allowed to stabilise supply.  
Among other things, the communique called for a “comprehensive national feed security program is highly recommended Strengthen existing animal health infrastructure in line with global One-Health initiative.

It highlighted the need to develop a targeted policy framework to address climate change impacts on livestock production and integrate climate-smart practices across all livestock sub-sectors.

The document called on the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to provide a framework for effective management of conflicts between farmers and herders at state, LGA, District and community levels with clear financing mechanisms for its operations.

It called for a robust livestock data and genetic resource conservation infrastructure (gene banks, genetic stock improvement etc) for the sustainable livestock sector, adding that the management of waste generated from the production process of the livestock value chains should be adequately planned for its conversion to wealth.

It also urged the new ministry to note the importance of livestock mechanisation across its value chains and properly domicile its functions within the ministry.

The document further recommended that existing policies should be strengthened, where there are none, policies should be developed, and where there are gaps, such policies should be revised.

Earlier, while declaring the workshop open, President Bola Tinubu pledged government support in revamping and repositioning the sector to create employment and attract foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The President assured stakeholders that they would not regret the collaboration and investment in the sector.