Kohima traders’ body appeals to rebels to stop ‘taxation’

Kohima: The Kohima Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) has stressed that the ‘abnormal trend of unabated taxation by multiple and mushrooming factions of Naga Political Groups (undergrounds)’ has adversely affected business in the region.
In an official statement KCCI president Jabou Sekhose and joint secretary Akhrie Mor said the business community of the capital and other areas of Nagaland had been ‘bearing the brunt of taxation for far too long and feeding the various groups at the expense of our wellbeing’.
The suffering of the trading community, KCCI stated, was never taken into consideration.
“Instead, taxation, intimidation, extortion, corruption etc were raised to new heights of repulsive levels that business houses involved in trade and commerce are literally dying paying taxes and sustaining the multiple Naga Political Groups,” the release said.
Further, it stated, “the trading community has been running from pillar to post with their grievances without relief, but now the situation has reached an unimaginable low where many enterprising youths, families, individuals have gone bankrupt due to excessive taxation under various guises.”
The KCCI highlighted that more than half a century has gone by since Nagaland got statehood but “the business community has failed to prosper or secure a better future for their near and dear ones or economic growth for Nagaland.”
In light of the above grievances, the KCCI has appealed to all the groups to understand their plight and abstain from collection of any form of ‘taxes’ from the business community. “Any forceful collection under threat and intimidation shall be considered as extortion,” it stated. (UNI)