By Kingston Obung
Calabar
The introduction of carbon emission levy by the Cross River state government few months ago is generating uproar in the state as residents have vowed never to pay any levy other than taxes they are currently paying.
Respondents who spoke to our reporter said between N6,000 to N15,000 levies were imposed on electricity generating plants, depending on their sizes and output and that the owners of restaurants, fashion boutique, printing press, amongst others were targets, insisting that “it is either the carbon emissions board will take us to court or we relocate our businesses to other states.”
Investigations indicated that the Environment and Carbon Emissions Board (ECEB), through its consultant, Piell Consult Ltd, had few weeks ago, issued demand notices to that effect in which it said levy should be paid within seven days failure of which legal action would be taken. The notice cited schedule 1 of Cross River State Law No. 7 of 2016 to justify their claims.
In an interview, a resident who operates a printing press at Edgerly Road in Calabar South, who preferred anonymity, posited that the emission tax was another ploy to extort money from citizens, adding, “to the best of my knowledge, the issue of climate change which they say is caused by emissions, is a universal challenge which world leaders are trying to mitigate through carbon credit payment to countries.
A blogger, Nyok Efio-Ita, in his remarks, said “Cross Riverians need a policy document in this regard as well as a town-hall meeting to deliberate the underlying nuances of the said environmental population law,” and expressed surprise that the Emission Board is yet to embark on sensitization campaign on the matter or even explain how it intends to mitigate the effect of carbon emissions, air pollution and degradation.
Efforts to speak with the Chairman of the Commission, Rt Hon Patrick Uguge, did not yield result as he was said to have travelled when our reporter visited his office on Tuesday, but, Mr James Abang, Special Adviser to the Board Chairman told our reporter that the levy was not limited to electricity generators as rumoured.
