Abia state has simplified tax system, says Otti

Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has said that his administration has simplified the state’s tax system to enhance ease of compliance and encourage economic growth in the state.

Otti said this on Tuesday during the inauguration of the rehabilitated Obiorah Street, Aba.

He, therefore, urged the people to be “active participants” in the payment of taxes and statutory revenues to the state.

“We have simplified the tax payment system for individuals and businesses using digital technology platforms and systems.

“What we have achieved with these is that all channels of revenue leakage are closed in order to build confidence in the system,” he said.

Otti expressed government’s determination to ensure that all the taxable entities that were not in the state’s tax net were adequately captured.

“So, our focus going forward will be to address and bring in these entities into the tax net and that is the only way to find the resources we need to achieve our holistic development agenda,” he said.

He also said that the state’s tax system had been structured to ensure that there would be no room for extortion and other forms of abuses in the system.

He said that the government had created a mechanism to ensure that any revenue generated shall be fully accounted for and properly utilised.

Otti said that the application of prudence in the use of public resources had enabled the government to limit its exposure to local and foreign creditors.

“This is the clearest indication that we are running a disciplined government, one that is committed to nothing else but the welfare of the general population.

“The point we are raising is that in this last 18 months, we have focused on delivering the dividend of democracy to our people.

“We have reduced our debt profile drastically and we have not borrowed a kobo from anybody.

“This shows that your taxes are working,” he said.

Otti further said that the Obiorah Street project was done through direct labour and commended the state Ministry of Works for doing an excellent job.

“I have it on good authority that the quality of work done on this road is as good as the work that Julius Berger is doing on Port Harcourt Road.

“The entire cost is just about 30 per cent or 25 per cent of what it should have been, if we had contracted it out,” he said.

Otti described the road as a testament of the government’s commitment to actualise its rebuilding agenda in the state.

In a speech, the Commissioner for Works, Mr Otumchere Oti, described the road as crucial to revitalising the commercial nerve center of the state.

Oti said that the road was originally an earth road but the construction has raised its status to an asphaltic concrete road.

He said: “It has a length of 480 meters with a carriage way width of 8.2meters, the pavement consists of 150milimeter, thick laterite softbase, 150milimeter stonebase, 50 milimeter asphaltic concrete binder course and 40 millimeter asphaltic concrete wearing course.

“It is lined on both sides with reinforced concrete drains and the entire length provided with solar street lights, road way marking was also carried out.”

Oti urged Aba residents to desist from engaging in activities that would adversely affect the road.

In a remark, the lawmaker representing Aba Central State Constituency, Mr Stephen Ucheonye, commended the government for executing a project that would improve the welfare of the people.

Ucheonye said that the road would play a vital role in improving traffic and boosting commercial activities within the area.

In a remark, the Chairman of Aba South Local Government Area, Mr Nwobilor Anyanwu, commended the State Government for the construction of the road.

Anyanwu said that the road had given residents a new lease of life and increased the value of commercial and residential property in the area.

A resident of the area, Mr Geoffrey Ike, said that the construction of the road had brought an end to years of untold hardship experienced by residents.

Ike said that he was delighted with the project because it had given residents a sense of belonging.

BRANDECONOMY reports that the governor also inaugurated Abak Street in Aba.