The Federal Government has been urged to intervene in the operations of tax agencies and ensure the timely reconciliation of tax documents without the undue interference and bribery demands that have continued to plague businesses.

The call was made by the management of Sigma Coatings Nigeria Limited, which expressed concern over the growing trend of harassment, bureaucratic delays, and bribery requests by some tax officials—issues it described as major setbacks for businesses in Nigeria.

Speaking at the grand opening of Sigma’s Port Harcourt Faculty, a new distribution centre in the South-South region, the Chairman of Sigma, Mr. Robert Agbede, lamented that tax agencies often prioritize bribes over due diligence in tax assessments and compliance.

“We just want fairness in the taxation process,” Agbede stated. “We go through a lot of hassle reconciling our papers with tax agencies, and we are not going to bribe anyone. We don’t bribe—we won’t. I have a good, quality product, and if I pay my taxes, I will stand my ground. That’s my only issue.”

Agbede stressed that addressing these challenges would greatly improve the ease of doing business and help accelerate economic growth in the country.

He noted that Sigma Coatings, a 100% indigenous company, has created numerous jobs and is committed to further investments in the South-South region to boost local employment and support industrialization.

“We are fully invested in this region. When this region thrives, we thrive too,” he said.

“Before now, we used to ship our products from our factory in Lagos, where our plant has been operating for almost 20 years. But we realized the need to be closer to our customers in the South-South.”

The Sigma chairman also raised concerns about the proliferation of counterfeit products in the region due to the company’s limited physical presence in the past.

“Sigma is a high-quality product, but because we weren’t here, others started imitating and adulterating it. When you are an absentee landlord, people will take over. That’s why we are now on the ground.”

He revealed plans to expand beyond distribution into full production within the region.

“We’re starting with a few distribution centres, but eventually, we want to establish a full production facility in the South-South,” Agbede added.

He also disclosed the company’s new project—Chester Energy, an energy park being developed near the newly launched Port Harcourt facility—aimed at deepening investment and job creation in the region. (The Guardian)