HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, April 28: The Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI) has asked the state government what action and steps it had taken to protect the business community and public over the years from various taxes imposed by Naga political groups (NPGs).
The apex trade body of the state reiterated that it had already mad e its position clear to the government that enough of unjustified taxation had made Nagaland the most unfriendly business destination and environment in the entire country.
“Innovating and scheming to extract money and exploit the business community and consumers by coining different taxation names by various NPGs in the name of taxation as legitimate rights for Naga national movement had become a full-time job, staining and denting the noblest and honourable movement of the Naga people,” the CNCCI said in a release.
The CNCCI pointed out that today, the age-old taxes like house tax, ration tax, yearly tax, godown tax, transport tax, item tax, etc., could not quench the thirst and greed of many leaders of the Naga national movement.
It said never in their imagination, the business community and public thought that the NPGs and their leaders would stoop so low to come up with ‘mistiri tax’ and ‘jugali tax’.
Questioning the justification of such taxes, the CNCCI said: “This is an incomprehensible embarrassment to the Naga national movement”, adding this is nothing but selfishness and greed to keep minting money.
The CNCCI urged the NPGs and their leaders involved in collecting such disgraceful tax in the name of the Naga movement to reason and speak to their conscience and immediately do away with such taxation.