The Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI) has welcomed the decision of the Phek Town Public Forum (PTPF) to “refrain from paying any form of tax to any Naga Political Groups (NPGs)” from 2026, describing it as a defining and courageous step that protects both the business community and consumers.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the CNCCI said the resolution taken under the aegis of the Phek Town Public Forum would ease the burden on traders and the general public and deserved support from all sections of Naga society. “This decision deserves acknowledgment and support from every Naga, and should serve as a challenge to other towns and districts to follow suit,” the CNCCI stated.
The CNCCI said the move should be viewed as a wake-up call for Naga Political Groups, noting that the public had never mandated the existence of multiple and ever-growing factions claiming to represent one Naga aspiration. It urged the groups to interpret the public resolution positively and said such actions could encourage unity among factions and strengthen the Naga national movement.
“With unity, the public will be more willing to shoulder the movement voluntarily and in good faith under the banner and slogan of ‘One Government, One Tax’,” the CNCCI stated.
The reaction follows an earlier announcement by the Phek Town Public Forum that residents of Phek town would suspend payment of taxes to all factions from 2026 due to what it described as excessive and unbearable taxation. The forum said the decision was taken after years of increasing factional presence in the district headquarters, which had led to growing public hardship.
The PTPF said that while earlier factional collections were managed through a common pool to avoid multiple taxation, the proliferation of factions to more than thirty in recent years had made the situation unsustainable. It said a meeting was held with faction representatives, attended by members of 17 groups, where it was clearly conveyed that all taxation to multiple factions would be put on hold from 2026.
The forum said the decision aligns with the standing resolution of the Chakhesang Public Organisation and the consistent position of various civil society bodies advocating the principle of one government, one tax. It also warned that any attempt to disturb peace and tranquility in the town would not be tolerated and that the public would not cooperate with such actions.