Soludo suspends tax payment for heavy duty vehicles

Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo has suspended taxes imposed on heavy duty vehicles for loading and offloading in the transport sector.

This follows the controversy generated by the new tax regime in Anambra State after his assumption of office.

Officials of the state government, transport operators and other key stakeholders, at a meeting in Awka, brainstormed on the matter and agreed on the new payment modalities.

After the meeting, Governor Soludo approved weekly payments for tricycle, shuttle buses and other transport operators.

Accordingly, while keke operators would henceforth pay N2,500 per week or N10,000 per month, shuttle bus drivers would be paying N3000 per week or N12,000 per month, while Mini Truck drivers would pay N3,750 per week or N15,000 per month.

Similarly, motorcycle riders are to start paying N1000 per week or N4000 per month, while taxi drivers would be paying N3,000 per week or N12,000 per month.

The governor explained that the meeting was convened to inform them that he had heard their complaints about the tax collection.

The  governor explained that technology would be deployed in collecting daily taxes in accordance with their demands, adding however that it would take some time to be implemented.

Soludo said he understood the concerns of the operators regarding tax reduction, mode of payment and the issue of multiple taxes, assuring them that his government was determined to institute a progressive tax system because the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the state is a party for the common man.

Soludo added that Anambra’s total tax contribution as revenue last year was barely N20 billion, which, according to him, is insufficient for the massive road construction his administration had begun.