By Uzo Ugwunze
The President General, Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association ASMATA, Chief Humphrey Anuna (Onwa Oraeri) has lauded Governor Chukwuma Soludo for Slashing and harmonizing the Internally Generated Revenue IGR payment for traders in Anambra markets.
Speaking shortly after a meeting with the Chairmen and Secretaries of Major markets in Anambra State which held at the ASMATA Secretariat, Modebe Avenue, Onitsha, Chief Anuna maintained that the IGR paid by traders doing business in Anambra was still one of the lowest compared to what is paid by traders across the South East.
“Our Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo is doing a lot for traders. The kind of love he shows to we traders is unprecedented. God will continue to protect and preserve him for us.
“Concerning the new IGR, I have never seen where a government reduces IGR from higher to lower rate, the trend is increment to enable government meet up with the economic realities and demands.
“Last year IGR was the total of #39,000 if you add the LGA revenue and that of the State but this year it has been reduced to #35,000.
“Despite seeing our tax payers money at work around the state, His Excellency even promised to reduce the IGR in years to come if we meet up with certain targets.
“Soludo has harmonized IGR payment for all the markets. The disparity between private owned and public markets have been removed. The issue of LGA revenue collection differing from state IGR has also been stopped. It is now the same major payment of #35,000 for each trader, across all the markets and plazas within Anambra State.
“No trader doing business in Anambra State would complain of multiple or high taxation because States around us are collecting nothing less than #40,000.
“I thank Prof Chukwuma Soludo immensely. I want to strongly assure our Solution Governor that we traders have promised to support his administration by promptly paying the IGR,” said Anuna.