By Okey Maduforo Awka
Gov Charles Soludo of Anambra has announced a taxable palliatives to over 59,000 pensioners in the area.
Similarly the taxes paid by Keke and minibus operators has been slashed by 20 percent while salaries of workers have been increased by 10 percent.
According to the governor these are measures being taken by the state government to cushion the effects of hardship being faced by the masses in Anambra state.
“In the meantime and over the remaining four months of the year (September – December 2023) as well as within the context of our 2023 budget framework, we are rolling out a few immediate and medium term measures”
“Our response recognizes that the subsidy removal affects ALL citizens, especially millions of the unemployed and underemployed youths and vulnerable segments of the population.”
“In our foresighted response to the rising inflation, our government had increased the salaries of all public servants by 10% effective January 2023. We have been paying the 10% adjustment since January 2023”
“In addition to the salary increase, we will be paying every pensioner and public servant in the employment of the Anambra State Government and the 21 LGAs (approx. 59,000 persons) for the period September 2023 to December 2023 a monthly flat non-taxable cash award of N12,000”
“This is to augment their monthly take-home”
Anambra State Government will be distributing rice to over 300,000 households in the coming weeks across the 326 wards in Anambra.
“The following highly vulnerable persons are exempt from all forms of taxation/levies: hawkers; wheel barrow and truck pushers; vulcanizers; artisans, okada drivers; petty traders with capital of less than N100,000; etc”
“The IGR payments of ALL transporters — Keke, Minibus, etc are hereby reduced by 20% with effect from September 01, 2023”
“Basic Education (primary school to JSS3) remain tuition free for all public schools. We are reviewing the plethora of other levies, fees, and charges in these schools. Before schools resume in September 2023, we shall make further announcements to sanitize the system and reduce the burden on our pupils/students and their sponsors”
“Henceforth, we will provide free antenatal services and free delivery services to pregnant mothers in State primary health centres and general hospitals. We will announce a more comprehensive medical package for our residents, especially the senior citizens and children in our 2024 budget”
“We call on the landlords to show empathy to their tenants at this challenging moment and consider easier options for rent payment”
“Still on initiative to reduce the cost of transportation for the larger segment of Ndi Anambra, we will be applying to purchase many of the CNG-fueled buses to be provided by the Federal Government for intra-state transportation. The aim is to reduce the cost of transportation within Anambra.”
“We will embark immediately on the repair of existing and purchase of new water boats to ease transportation for our citizens in the riverine local governments”
We also expect a new industrial complex to process the products, thereby creating more jobs for our youths.We are getting ready to deal with the heavy flooding expected to massively affect eight local governments in Anambra soon. We have made arrangements for resettlements of Ndi Anambra living in flood-prone areas. We will take every necessary measure to ameliorate the effects on the victims”
“We are rolling out a very ambitious program to build/modernize the primary health centres (PHCs) in all the 326 wards — to let everyone have access to qualitative healthcare. This is in addition to renovation/modernization of hundreds of primary schools and secondary schools. We recently approved a huge program for urban and rural water schemes to ensure that especially the poor have access to clean portable water” he said.
