SMES in event planning seek industry regulation

Stakeholders in the event decor and planning sector have urged the federal government to address issues of multiple taxations and regulate activities in the industry to support small businesses to thrive and compete.

The stakeholders spoke at the annual decorators and planners conference themed, ‘Flowerxprops 3’ organised by the School of décor - The Propsplace in lagos recently.

damilola osasuye, a decorator and the creative director, The Propsplace, said the Nigerian event and planning industry would compete globally if given the right attention by the government at all levels.

“I wish the government can see the industry as what it is; a very big and creative industry that has taken Nigeria out to the diaspora, and therefore, help to regulate a lot of things,” she said.

“It is good to pay taxes, but, for instance, the venue owners are over-taxed, so it is affecting us, the decorators, they ask us for various charges.”

“Also, we do not have industries that can create some of the products that we import to reduce the cost of running a business in the country. So, if the governaccording ment sees the industry as big as it is, maybe, allow investors from abroad to start doing things that we are doing.”

She cited an example of how china was able to grow its decoration industry by driving investments into the sector.

She also urged the government to provide an enabling environment by bridging the huge infrastructural gaps limiting production.

What the government can do is to provide an enabling environment where people, who want to invest, can come here and build their industries; so that we do not have to import.”