Recession: Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano Suspends Taxes Including Sale of Emblems, Hawkers Permit, Wheelbarrow Taxes & School Levies

Following the formal announcement by the Federal Government that the nation’s economy has gone into a RECESSION, the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano yesterday presented to ndi Anambra, through a State-wide Broadcast, a Stimulus Package that will ease the pain of the recession and help the state bounce back to prosperity.

The Stimulus Package contains special interventions which come in Four Key Areas, one of which is Tax Relief Programme.

Read what Governor Willie Obiano said on Tax Relief below;

The objective of our Tax Relief Programme is to evaluate existing taxes, levies and fees in the state and introduce some waivers and in some cases scrap the collection of some illegal levies imposed on our people.

I believe that these will go a long way to cushioning the impact of the recession on households in the state.

Our immediate response in this regard is as follows:

1. I hereby suspend the sale of consolidated emblems in Anambra State
2. I suspend the collection of Hawkers Permit on all streets in the state
3. I suspend the collection of Wheelbarrow Tax in all markets in the state
4. Lastly, I abolish the imposition of unapproved levies on students in public primary and secondary schools in the state.

All these pronouncements shall take immediate effect.

In Addition to Suspension of Taxes, Anambra State will Share Over N3bn to Enterprises via ASBA… #ObianoEffect

During a statewide broadcast titled Rising from the Brinks, the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano announced a stimulus package aimed at easing the pain of the prevailing recession.

First of the 4-legged interventions is Tax Relief Programmes followed by Special Intervention for SMEs, MSMEs and Large Enterprise.

Below is what Obiano said on providing financial aids for Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs and Large Enterprises.

Ndi Anambra, this sector of the economy accounts for over 800,000 jobs in Anambra State today. These businesses are suffering from the acute drop in the supply of Foreign Exchange at the moment and are left with two options; scale down their operations or shut down completely.

Ndi b’anyi, my role as your Governor is to envisage challenges and provide solutions that will ensure a speedy comeback from difficult situations that require the power and might of a state government.

This is what my administration has done in the past two years through ASBA, Anambra Small Business Agency. This Agency is a very important institution that I created to serve as a catalyst to our domestic economy.

So far, ASBA has effectively distributed the sum of N1.5bn as start-up capital to many SMEs and MSMEs in Anambra State. These funds are part of the N2bn that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made available to states about two years ago to help stimulate local
entrepreneurship across the country.

Anambra Small Business Agency, ASBA was set up with credible manpower and a strategic focus on the productive sectors. I must thank the CBN for demonstrating a great foresight with that credit scheme and I hope that when we knock on their door again soon, it shall be opened onto us since Anambra has managed the last drawdown well through ASBA.

Ndi Anambra, although it may not be known to many people, the truth is that the famous Anambra Rice owes its growth to our intervention through ASBA. So many other manufacturers have also benefitted from this initiative.

Therefore, arising from the highly visible success recorded by ASBA, we shall carry out the following policies to provide relief to the productive sectors and stimulate the domestic economy;

1. We shall provide ASBA with a minimum of N3 billion to lend to SMEs and MSMEs at 9% interest rate across key sectors.
2. We shall re-channel earlier accessed Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture and Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme funds totalling to about N1.5 billion to support this sector. ASBA will handle it as usual and rigorously follow the standard modalities.
3. We shall fast-track the roll-out of the CBN Anchor Borrowers Program in our state to support SME/MSMEs in the agricultural sector.

At the same time, we have since commenced consultations with the business community in the state and will soon hold an interactive session with the Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha Chambers of Commerce as well as the state chapter of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

This will enable us understand their most pressing needs in order to make a strong case on their behalf to the Presidency and other relevant authorities.

As we continue moving forward, make sure you, your family and friends do not pay the above mentioned taxes again.

Culled from the Facebook Page of Ifeanyi Anagor (S.S.A to Gov Obiano on Social Media)

Image: Team Obiano Page

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