The Food Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, FOBTOB has appealed to the National Assembly to reconsider the ban on alcoholic drinks in sachets and bottles below 200 mililitres in the country scheduled to take effect in the new year.
National President of FOBTOB, Comrade Jimoh Oyibo who made the call at a news conference in Lagos urged the Senate to rather call a meeting of stakeholders to hear all sides on the issue before taking a decision.
Comrade Oyibo stated that outright ban of sachet alcoholic drinks would throw millions of workers out of jobs, loss of government taxes being paid by the workers and their employers and also destroy huge local investments in the alcoholic beverage industry.
On the alcohol abuse by minors cited for the ban, the union leader suggested public enlightenment on responsible consumption of alcohol, control of access to alcohol by underaged and strict enforcement of ban on sale of alcohol at unauthorized places.
Comrade Oyibo also appealed to the Senate to visit the industries that produce the alchoholic drinks to understand the high level of indigenous investments that would be wasted if the ban goes in operation.
“Furthermore, we strongly believe this ban would only give opportunity for smugglers to flood the market with foreign brands, which would ultimately result in loss of revenue to the Government” he argued.
The FOBTOB leader futher stated that “for instance, the investment in machinery and raw materials is close to two trillion naira, and all these may go down the drain if this ban is effected.
In addition, over five hundred thousand direct employees, and an estimated five million indirect workers including companies supplying materials needed for the production, those involved in marketing and distribution, and other logistics will have their employment jeopardised.”
Reporting by Korede Ogunbunmi