CSOs decry Anambra new tax policy involving wheelbarrow pushers
The Coordinator of Open Alliance for Civil Society, Mr Chris Azor, has decried Anambra new planned tax policy that requires wheelbarrow pushers and related bodies to be included in tax payment.
Azor, who doubles as Citizens Co-Chair, Open Government Partnership (OGP) disclosed the group’s displeasure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Monday.
He said that Open Alliance for Civil Society and Non-State Actors, Anambra State, a foremost Coalition of Stakeholders for transparency and accountability, had written to the appropriate authorities of State Actors requesting for detailed clarifications on the decision.
He said that the purported taxing of the core poor and most vulnerable groups, especially wheelbarrow pushers and the likes were seen and described as unfriendly policy to the downtrodden.
He said that they should rather be supported by the government to improve their living conditions, stating that there was no reason enough to convince the citizens as the parameter for taxing them, instead of protecting the poor in their midst.
Azor said that the group had written to Mrs Patricia Igwebuike, the state Commissioner for Transportation, and Mr Richard Madiebo, the Chairman, Anambra Inland Revenue Service, (AIRS) seeking detailed clarifications on the propriety of the exercise.
He said that Wheelbarrow pushers and other vulnerable groups should be exempted from these bio-metric capturing and taxation as their action suggested that the government was taxing the core poor wheelbarrow pushers, and people who patronized their services as the cost would be raised.
According to him, we have been overwhelmed with calls and complaints from Stakeholders demanding to know the reason for what they described as insensitivity of the State Government and its handlers.
“Countries all over the globe are giving tax exemptions, with palliatives and Social Protection to the core poor affected by COVID-19 and sundry emergencies and general economic downturn.
“The State government can come up with other innovative strategies to raise revenue, rather than stifling the poor and vulnerable.
“We however, simply request that the State government come up with more friendly ideas to raise its IGR than stifling the poor more,.
“We need convincing explanations within the next one week to cushion the effect of the idea on the citizens,” Azor said.
NAN reports that the group reacted to the government announcement that was contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Anambra State Ministry of Transport, Mrs. Louisa Ezeanya.
Ezeanya, in the statement, explained that the bio-metric enrollment and registration was conducted by the ministry in collaboration with the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AiRS).
In a swift reaction, Mrs Sylvia Tochukwu-Ngige, the Head of Taxpayer Education and Enlightenment Team AiRS told NAN that AiRS was very determined to increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) base of Anambra digitally to an enviable level of the state.
She said that when the goal was achieved, it would help the government meet the obligations of the citizenry which included good roads, potable water, good healthcare delivery, security, more citizens oriented projects would be in place.
Tochukwu-Ngige said that the ongoing state government bio-metric enumeration and registration of all stakeholders and operators on transportation in the state, when completed, would help control security challenges and increase IGR of the state.
She said that Anambra’s future was bright with the Gov. Charles Soludo’s vision and appealed to the people of the state to support the state government by paying due taxes to the government.
Also, Mr Christian Aburime, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, described the idea as a transformational tool to streamline the state revenue collection as well as to control the security challenges of the state as the enrollment would aid security checks.(NAN)
