The Manufactures Association of Nigeria (MAN), has faulted plans by the Federal Government to set up a task force to bring down the prices of commodities and other food items.
Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently the chairman of MAN in Rivers and Bayelsa states, Mr Charles Beke, the government should rather focus on streamlining the exchange rate and other factors of production.
He blamed the government for the increase in the exchange rate and questioned the wisdom in making those travelling to Mecca on pilgrimage to buy at a lower rate.
“It is something that may not see the light of day because they are the cause, so how can you buy foreign exchange at high cost but while people are going to Mecca then they buy at low rate”, he said.
He wondered how a businessman would buy a dollar at N450.00 and bring in the raw material and after producing government comes to regulate on how the person would sell product.
“If I buy my dollar at the rate of N450 and bring my raw material, then after producing you come and regulate, how I will sell, is it not laughable? he queried.
According to him, MAN remained an advocate body and would not compromise its members being robbed of their profit after spending their money investing in business ventures.
“We in MAN is an advocate body, we will not stand to see our members being robbed of their profit after spending their hard earned money to bring in goods for the government to come and say they will regulate the price”, he said.
He, however, expressed that MAN was ready to see how the planned move by the federal government to set up a committee taskforce to bring down the prices of commodities in the country would work.