The Governor Charles Soludo-led Anambra government is to begin what it termed “operation show your receipts” by traders in all markets across the state, from April 25.
Richard Madiebo, chairman of the State Internal Revenue Service (AiRS) made this known in Awka on Friday.
He said that AiRS officials would commence enforcement of payment of business premises permit, market levies, and petroleum product fees across the state for the current year on April 25.
“All payments must be made to the Anambra State government’s Account through any Commercial Bank or government-designated POS, using Anambra State Identity Number (ASIN). Remember, nobody collects cash for payment of taxes and levies in Anambra State,” Madiebo said.
He said that every trader must show evidence of compliance with payment of levies to the government, pointing out that there are over 100 markets in the state.
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“This is to ensure that traders in the state pay directly to the government and not to non-state actors who have constituted themselves into revenue agents,” he said.
According to him, it is important that the government insisted on traders showing evidence of payment of their rates and levies to enable it to beef up revenues from the markets.
Madiebo said that the state was 70 per cent commercial oriented.
“If a trader paid his levies and the commercial enterprises also paid their various personal income taxes and business premises, the government would generate more funds to provide necessary infrastructure in the markets and the state at large.
“Operation show your receipts for traders in all markets” was for everyone to know that the government required the support and collaboration of all, especially as it concerns taxes and ensuring they pay directly to the government,” he said.
Madiebo said that the state taxes and rates for markets had been the lowest in Nigeria.
He said the levies for the private markets N7,400 and N12, 200 for government markets annually, adding that the levies were by far the lowest in the whole federation.
He said the traders in the markets had not been compliant and consistent with payments, even with the poor levy regime in the state.
Madiebo said that the state government discovered that in the last 4 years, compliance with payment of rates and levies have been almost at zero levels.
He, however, expressed optimism that “the operation to show your receipts” will make every trader show evidence of compliance.
He said that the levies were abysmally low, the essence was to achieve compliance then subsequently the government would continue to engage traders on the best way for improvement.
According to him, the present state government has a human face.
Madiebo said, “This Operation Show Your Receipts will cover every market in the state and,”we will make sure that we visit every market over the next few weeks to engage the traders.”
“We appeal to Ndi-Anambra in business to do the government a favour by voluntarily complying and paying their levies. Private market is N7,400 and the government market is N12,200 for twelve months. We have also provided channels through which they can pay directly to the government,” he said.
He disclosed that the compliance by the Keke operators have increased drastically, adding that at inception of the present state government, revenue from Keke riders was about N7m monthly, but with strategies put in place by the Soludo administration, IGR from tricycle operators as of March 2023 was about N170m.
