BEER companies in Nigeria under the Beer Sectoral Group (BSG) of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, has appealed to the Federal Government to abandon plans to introduce tax stamps on excisable goods, warning that the measure could trigger production disruptions and worsen the country’s inflation crisis.
The operators cautioned that the proposed tax stamp system could compound economic pressures and fuel consumer price increases.
In a statement, Abiola Laseinde, Executive Director of the Beer Sectoral Group (BSG), urged government to sustain existing home-grown digital excise systems rather than introducing tax stamps also known as track-and-trace identifiers, which she described as counterproductive.
She emphasised that the application of tax stamps in the beer sector would not address illicit trade, as counterfeiting is virtually non-existent due to the complexity of the brewing process, the bulkiness of beer products and their low resale value.
Laseinde added that the industry already maintains strict compliance with excise rules, backed by digital counters, on-site Customs officers and auditable records.