By Michael Nnebife
Traders at Eke Awka market have expressed discomfort over the increase in General Purpose Levy, recently announced by the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service.
The traders who seemed to have nothing to do as regards the new tax arrangements than to comply under duress, wondered why the Soludo -led Government would continue to adjust tax yearly, on upward trend, without considering the sufferings people were currently passing through and planning how to help them survive the hard situation. They expressed fears that the new development could trigger an increase in prices of commodities.
The traders who spoke to our reporter who went round the market to ascertain the feelings of the traders on the new tax arrangements are the Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman, Eke Awka Traders Association, Sir Charles Anierobi; the Chairman, Market A, Mr Solomon Nwude; a food stuffs dealer, Mrs Favour Godswill; the Chairman, Central Business Line, Chief Tochukwu Chinweuba, among others.
Chief Chinweba said, ‘The continuous increase in levy this time pains us because things are very hard; nothing moves now. The government should find a way to help us now, not taking from us.
‘Let them reduce this levy to ten thousand Naira because of this economic hardship we’re passing through.
‘During Obiano’s Regime, the levy we paid then started with three thousand Naira. Later it was merged with ASWAMA and it became twelve thousand Naira.
‘As everybody was complaining that it was too much, the new government came and increased it to fourteen thousand Naira.
‘As a result of this, people are only forced to pay it, they don’t pay it willingly unlike before,’ Chinweuba stated.
For Mrs Godswill, the increase in levy would not only cause an increase in the prices of goods, but would also make the landlords of the shops to increase the rent.
She said, ‘We can’t pay this amount of money, otherwise we add the levy to the prices of the goods.
‘As we’re not happy about the over fourteen thousand Naira we’re paying, they came and added twenty thousand. Who’ll pay the thirty thousand something?
‘We, the women in this market, are considering shutting down this market one day to embark on a protest.
‘We can’t pay this, it’s too high. Last year, they increased the levy from nine thousand eight hundred Naira to fourteen thousand six hundred Naira. Now, this year has become the worst; they increased the levy to over thirty-four thousand Naira.
‘For example, if I pay the additional twenty thousand, I’ll add it to the prices of these goods which people are complaining that are too much already.
‘And if the landlord of this shop gets the news that the government has increased the levy now, he will increase the rent. This has been a usual practice here,’ she said.
Mrs Godswill however, appealed to the government to be sensitive to the plights of the people and the traders whom, she lamented, were no longer making any sales now.
‘We display our goods and watch them,’ Mrs Godswill complained. ‘Please, let the government remove the twenty thousand Naira for us to remain in this business; this is what we’re asking for,’ she said.
Also Mr Nwude said, ‘Personally, I’m not happy. As we were discussing it this morning, some people suggested we go on demonstration.’
For his part, the Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman, Eke Awka Traders Association, Sir Anierobi, said the information about the development had been passed to the traders, and they were not happy, but he said they could not fight the government.
However Sir Anierobi and Chief Chinweuba expressed satisfaction on the performance of the Soludo Government, saying that his achievement in road infrastructure in Awka was impressive.
The market leaders however, appealed to the government to give the roads at the Eke Awka Market a facelift befitting a market in a state capital.
It will be recalled that the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service recently, announced a form of tax it called, ‘General Purpose Levy (GPL).’
The Service, in a post flying in social media platforms, said the GPL covered Sanitation Levy, Fire Service, Business Premises (Registration and Renewal), Stallage and Traders’ levies.’
The post signed by the Head, Taxpayer Education and Enlightenment Team of the Service, Sylvia Tochukwu-Ngige, pointed out that ‘Traders in government markets are to pay N30,000 while those in private markets will pay N17,500 according to the new General Purpose Levy.’
