Increase taxes on companies engaged in environmental pollution, FG told

Forum 10 months ago

Increase taxes on companies engaged in environmental pollution, FG told

BENIN CITY – AN environmental activist and Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey on Monday advocated for high taxation for companies involved in pollution of the environment in Nigeria.

He stated this at the organization’s 2023 School of Ecology on Arts and Culture, describing Nigeria as a “difficult environment” to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day and also to broaden communities’ understanding of the causes of Climate Change.

Emphasizing the fact that a safe environment is a right of the people according to Africa Chartered for People and Human rights, the environmental activist lamented that in spite of the damage caused to the environment, companies in pollution are having their ways because of their influence in the society.

He added: “There is no reason why the big pollutant should go without paying a big tax for their pollution.

“We have a duty, which is inescapable, to advocate for a safe and clean environment where people can live in dignity to develop and grow their potential.

“We also have a duty to inform policies and to advocate for policy changes.”

He said: “This is the only way you can have healthy people, and without health people, you can’t have a healthy workforce.

“If we want to have Nigeria working again, we need to have healthy people in a clean environment.

“If the world eventually moves away from using petrol, diesel, and the rest, the industry wants to make sure the world stays with plastic to keep their production alive, all for profits. They don’t really care about the safety of the environment; the safety of our biodiversity or the lives of citizens. As long as they can make money and keep their business going,” he added.