OPS Seeks President’s Intervention To Halt The Passage of CETA Bill

The Organised Private Sector, OPS of Nigeria, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s intervention to halt the passage of the proposed Customs, Excise and Tariff Amendment (CETA) Bill currently before the National Assembly which seeks to introduce a percentage levy per litre of the retail price on non-alcoholic beverages.

The call was outlined in an advertorial published in key newspapers and signed by the presidents of all members of the OPS comprising the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), and the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME),

The Group urged the Federal Government to engage with the leadership of the National Assembly to stop the ongoing legislative process with a view to stepping down the CETA Bill, thus allowing the executive-led fiscal reforms to be fully integrated and aligned.

According to the Group, this approach would strengthen policy coherence, enhance predictability, and improve the effectiveness of the nation’s excise framework.

It stressed that halting the bill will encourage structured, evidence-based engagement with industry stakeholders, thereby ensuring that any future measures will effectively balance revenue generation, public health objectives, and economic sustainability.

“While we fully support well-designed fiscal reforms and evidence-based public health interventions, we are concerned that the Bill, in its current form, raises significant social, economic, administrative, and legal issues that could undermine Your Excellency’s broader fiscal reform objectives,” it stated.

While calling on the FG to restrain the Senate from proceeding with the process, the group noted that the proposed levy would therefore constitute a regressive measure, reducing consumer purchasing power without providing viable alternatives or meaningful public health support.

Commenting on the impact of such a levy on industry stability, investment, and employment, the group stated that the sector was already under severe pressure from exchange rate adjustments, high energy costs, and rising prices of imported inputs, packaging materials, and machinery.

“An additional excise burden would further increase production costs, reduce capacity utilisation, delay or cancel planned investments, and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of small distributors, retailers, and informal traders who depend on high-volume, low-margin sales. These pressures would inevitably be passed on to consumers through higher prices, leading to reduced demand and potential further job losses across the value chain,” it stated.

While commending the president for the leadership and bold economic reforms undertaken since assuming office in 2023, it noted that the reforms have played an important role in restoring macroeconomic stability and rebuilding confidence within the business community.