The Abia State Government says its ongoing tax reforms are aimed at improving transparency, accountability and efficiency in revenue collection, rather than increasing the tax burden on residents.
The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, stated this while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of Monday’s State Executive Council meeting.
Kanu said the reforms formed part of the administration’s broader effort to modernise government institutions, processes and structures to improve service delivery.
According to him, the new tax administration system is designed to make revenue collection more transparent, traceable, auditable, automated and taxpayer-friendly.
He said the previous system relied heavily on manual processes, creating opportunities for middlemen, cash handling and weak accountability.
Under the new arrangement, Kanu said, the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue is automating and integrating its processes to enable taxpayers to clearly understand their assessments, the basis for the charges and the approved channels for payment.
“Automation, therefore, is not a tax increment. Transparency is not a tax increment. Closing revenue leakages is not a tax increment,” he said.
The commissioner acknowledged that the reforms had faced resistance from some sections of society, particularly those who benefited from the previous system. He, however, said the government remained committed to improving tax administration in line with its view of taxation as the government’s share of the prosperity created for citizens.
Abia Approves N31m Support for Returnees
Kanu also disclosed that Governor Alex Otti had approved N1 million each for 31 verified Abia indigenes who recently returned from South Africa.
He said the intervention was intended to provide temporary support and assist the returnees in resettling in the state.
According to him, the government is conducting a comprehensive profiling exercise to identify the individual circumstances and needs of the returnees, with the findings expected to guide further reintegration programmes.
He added that the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection had been directed to determine whether other Abia indigenes remained stranded in South Africa.
45 Road Locations Receive Direct-Labour Maintenance
On infrastructure, Kanu said direct-labour road maintenance had been undertaken at 45 locations across the state since the previous Monday.
He said one project was completed during the period, while no new project was added to the Ministry of Works’ maintenance programme.
The completed work, he said, involved routine maintenance of the seven-kilometre Akpa-Mbato-Abala Road in Obingwa Local Government Area.
Kanu added that 26 road projects were currently under contract across the state, with construction progressing at different stages.
He attributed delays at some sites to the rainy season but expressed optimism that the pace of construction would improve as the rains subside.
