Photo speaks as Mr. Deputy Governor, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim in the company of other top state functionaries involving the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi; the Commissioner for transport, Barr. Patricia Igwebuike and her environment counterpart, the MD/CEO of Anambra State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Madiebo; the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Christian Aburime; the MD/CEO of Anambra State Road Traffic Managenment (ARTMA), Mr. Emeka Komplet Okonkwo and the Special Adviser to the Governor (SPAD) on SECURITY who doubles here as the State Coordinator of the newly established revenue compliance enforcement outfit in the state, Anambra State Enforcement Team, ANJET, AVM Ben Chiobi, rtd, met yesterday at Ekwueme Square with the Keke Operators and their colleagues, the commercial bus operators, as well as the transport unions in the state towards finding a mutual solution to the lingering problem of revenue payment cum collection in the state.
The retired Air Vice Marshall Ben Chiobi and the Commissioner for transport, Barr. Igwebuike made it clear to the transport workers and their leaders who filled the venue of the meeting that it was another democratic way offered by the government after the first town hall meeting which the governor had convened himself to discuss the issue; observing that this particular meeting is meant to give the government a direct touch with the tricycle operators and the shuttle bus drivers and all those others involved in transport business in the state to talk one on one on this important tax issue.
It should be recalled that the Prof. Soludo led government has on arrival made some new policies as it concerns revenue collection and payments in the state where the individual taxpayers are expected to make their tax payments directly to the bank account details of the state government through electronic or digital payment method and not through proxies as was the practice before the current leadership in the state. Again, the new tax policy has maintained that this particular people in the informal sector are to make monthly, or quarterly or even yearly tax payments, an idea which the Keke and shuttle bus operators maintained is really difficult for them to keep; instead they continue to push that tax amounts to be paid be reduced to barely N5,000.00 monthly or a daily payment be allowed by the state government where the amount exceeds the five thousand they echoed, in order to make it easy for them to be paying. Furthermore, they called on the state government to keep to her promise of keeping all Anambra roads and motor/keke parks free from touting – olu ndi Agbero! They maintained that touting is still operational in the state, while the government continues to insist on the enforcement of tax reforms. They also called on the government to abolish the transport unions, which in their words are also milking them dry. They therefore, made it clear that they are willing to work under the state government and also pay their taxes to the government as long as no other money will be paid to Ndi Agbero and the transport unions.
The deputy governor who devoted a great part of his day to listen to them that yesterday at the meeting, called on them to be law abiding and to cooperate with the government to seek through democratic dialogue better solution on the tax issues. He officially informed them that government needs money to function effectively and to build a better Anambra, maintaining that the governor has currently gone out of the state in respect of this as he is there scouting for funds to fulfill his campaign promises to the state.
He then requested that they elect from amongst their groups there at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, capable persons who can now meet with the government to discuss more on the tax issues again, with the hope of finding mutual grounds of operation after that. The persons were elected there and there by the various groups and their names and contact numbers given to the government for another meeting which the deputy governor promised that will be coming up in just few days time to come.
