Maravi

Stakeholders push for removal of taxes, duty on farming inputs

Stakeholders push for removal of taxes, duty on farming inputs
By Friday Zinyama
Wednesday July 02, 2008 [04:00]

STAKEHOLDERS have called for African governments to remove taxes and duties on fertilisers and farming inputs in order to mitigate the effects of food crisis on the continent. During a policy workshop on ‘Trade in Agricultural Inputs at the Regional Level in Africa’ organised by the Common Market for East and Southern Africa, COMESA, ad interim secretary general Dr Chungu Mwila said it was important for governments to consider removing taxes and duty on raw materials for making fertilisers in order to enhance soil fertility for improved food production on the continent.

Dr Mwila said the optimum and sustainable use of fertiliser and improved seed were some of the best strategies for addressing those challenges.

“Furthermore, our actions as delegates in tackling these challenges are guided by the declaration of Abuja summit on fertiliser which among other things calls for the elimination of taxes and duties on fertilisers and fertiliser raw materials. Another requirement of the summit was the establishment of regional procurement and distribution,” said Dr Mwila.

And United States Agency for International Development (USAID) representative Thomas Hobgood said the world was experiencing a food crisis which needed to be urgently dealt with.

Hobgood said the world had in the past concentrated on growing cash crops like cotton and tobacco at the expense of growing staple foods because of good prices.

Labels: CHUNGU MWILA, FARMING, TAXATION

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