The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has again cried out to the federal government over what it described as the tax burden on its members.
Specifically, the association is seeking clarification on whose right is it to issue Demand Notices on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); Federal Ministry of Environment/National (FME)/ National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) or the State Ministries of Environment.
This is contained in a letter, written by ALTON to the Honorable Minister, Federal Ministry of Environment, where it demands a notice from state ministries of environment on environmental impact assessment (EIA).
In the letter written on February 21, 2019, and signed by its Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON stated that it has received complaints from its members that they have been receiving demand notices for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) payment from some States Government Ministries of Environment, which it considered as an aberration of the existing law.
The letter urged the federal government to make a clarification on the following issues at stake;
- That the Federal Ministry of Environment has ceded the EIA oversight functions to some States Ministry of Environment to issue EIA Certification to our members.
- That some States Ministry of Environment as the case may be can conduct EIA process to our members without recourse to the Federal Ministry of Environment and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
- That the Statutory responsibility on environmental issues of the Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) has been transferred to the States Government.
- That the States now have the power to collect ecological fund from the private sector after payment has been made to them by the Federal Government.”
