Anambra State Government said it has lost about N1.9 billion from Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, in six weeks, due to the lockdown order to contain the dreaded coronavirus pandemic.
In a telephone interview with newsmen, on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, on Political Affairs, Chief Ifeato Obi-Okoye, disclosed that the lockdown was not only having an effect on residents but also on government as the generation of revenue was severely affected.
According to him, it is not only residents that are running short of their daily incomes also the government has lost lots of revenue too.
Although I’m not working in the Anambra State Inland Revenue Service (AIRS), I gave the estimate while speaking with Tribune Online that Anambra state government has lost about N1.9 billion on Internally Generated Revenue within a period of six weeks, he stated.
Before the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Anambra state was internally generating a sum total of N1.3billion naira per month.
He said during this trying period, the State Government extended the deadline for the filing of annual tax returns for individuals in the state which was also part of the vacuum that has affected the state IGR.
He advised taxpayers to get updates on business operations and alternative payment platforms of the service by visiting the website on www.airs.an.gov.ng and its various social media handles to commence payment of their taxes now that the government are relaxed the lockdown order and business activities reopened.
Now that governor Willie Obiano has relaxed the lockdown order, we believed the state IGR will begin to boost, he added.
He urged the police to prosecute people who are found driving on major roads during the lockdown curfew with their vehicles impounded and auctioned.
And the proceeds of the sale should be put into government use as part of measures to revive the IGR.
He urged the people of the state to endure the lockdown curfew because it is better ‘’to endure a lockdown in few month’s than to have people dying prematurely.
He explained that Traders and businessmen/men in the state will receive a payment of 10% of the Personal Income Tax amount that they paid in 2019 as a palliative to help cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business with the hope that the lockdown will only last for two weeks.
The APGA chieftain called on the major political opponents, the People Democratic Party PDP and All Progressive Congress APC in the state to also contribute their quarters to ameliorate the suffering of the people at this hard time and stop politicizing the efforts of the current administration of Governor Willie Obiano that has been working tirelessly to ensure the devilish virus doesn’t have its way in the state.
Chief Obi-Okoye also called on Ndi Anambra to support the efforts of the Anambra State Government by adhering strictly to the COVID-19 safety guidelines as issued by relevant health authorities.
But a chieftain of the People Democratic Party PDP and an Awka based legal practitioner, Barrister John Okoli Akirika, on his contrary position, said Anambra state has not lost anything due to the constant palliatives donations by individuals and corporate organizations to the state pocket.
According to him, Anambra state has not experienced any COVID-19 challenges as much, compared to that of Lagos, Abuja and Kano States respectively.
So. I personally disagree with the declaration that Anambra state has lost N1.9 billion in six weeks due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
The governor should, without delayed broadcast to the people how much the state has generated from the COVID-19 donors and how much they have spent so far in given out palliatives to the less privilege in all the 181 communities that constitute the state, for transparency and accountability.
The State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Comrade Jerry Nnobia, in his brief talk with our correspondent via phone, said whether the COVID-19 palliatives donated by individuals or corporate bodies are properly use or not, what the state council is most interested is for the government to maintain it status quote on the monthly payment of salary to workers and the quick implementation of the new national minimum wage.
Attempt to speak to the Chairman/Chief Executive, Anambra State Internal Revenue, Dr. David Nzekwe, to collaborate, proved abortive as the official information director, Mrs Ngige, said the CEO was not in town and also not in the better position to ascertain to that now, promised to organise a zoom meeting with her boss on Monday next week where further information regard to state IGR will be revealed.
