Tax
Some concerned private sector operators in Calabar, Cross River State have called for a national legislation to encourage the private sector to help in the development of sports in the country.
Such encouragement, they said, could be through tax waivers, which would encourage many private companies to promote sports and take the youths off the streets.
Speaking at a forum organised by Cross River State sports journalists at the weekend, the General Manager of Royal Farms and Estates Limited, Bishop Usen Umoh lamented, “If you watch developments in the world on child trafficking and the slavery story as exposed by the CNN recently, you will discover that a lot of Nigerian youths are there and the guy that even spoke is a Nigerian.”
Umoh who is a table tennis enthusiast, said, “If the private sector participated in sports effectively, this will ensure that the youths are properly taken care of before they can even think of going outside to do one thing or the order that will embarrass the country.
“If this legislation is made and the private sector is encouraged in terms of tax waivers of certain percentage, the private sector through that legislation will know their duty when it comes to youth empowerment and probably sports development.
“We want this to be drummed up in view of what we see happening with our youths in Libya and other parts of the world. We are saying that if government could put things like waivers for private sectors to benefit, private companies will come in.
“As we speak now, there is nothing the government has as in legislation that encourages sports development in the country. Sports are largely in Nigeria being run by the government. So members of the State, National Assemblies and all of the people in sports committees should be involved. For the sports writers, it is their duty to put things in the media everyday until they are forced to do something.”
Source: G Sport
