•••Govt Assures Riders of Protection, Safety; Creates N15, 000 And N17, 500 Monthly Payment Platforms
By John Ugo, Awka
An estimated 40, 000 tricycle operators in Anambra State are expected to pay between N7.2billion or N8.4billion respectively as annual revenue.
The sum which goes to the purse of the state government is to be paid from two payment of N15, 000 and N17, 500 per month, depending on the choice of the operators.
This is as Governor Charles Soludo has assured members of the Tricycle Operators Association of Nigeria (TOAN) in the state of adequate and guaranteed protection and safety, adding that the days of intimidation, harassment, touting and multiple taxations are over.
It was learnt that the tricycle operators are to pay either the N15, 000 in one full-swoop per month, which amounts to N600 daily or N17, 500 in splits of N875 daily following a tripartite agreement between the state government, the leadership of the tricycle operators and a financial institution.
An estimated forty thousand (40, 000) members of the TOAN, Anambra state chapter, are expected to pay the revenue into the coffers of the state government.
The Network gathered that an enforcement and monitoring team will soon begin work to ensure compliance with the government order on the payment of the stipulated revenues.
Already, about 15, 000 out of the estimated 40, 000 membership of the association drawn from across the 21 local government areas have been registered while others have indicated readiness to register in line with the directive of the state government.
The State Government in collaboration with the leadership and members of TOAN, had during an awareness and sensitization meeting held at the Dr. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre Awka, the state capital, assured the tricycle operators of guaranteed security, improved welfare and construction and rehabilitation of all the bad portions of roads within the capital town and other areas.
Also, the members of the tricycle operators have expressed willingness to embrace either of the two payment options provided by the state government but urged the Prof. Charles Soludo to give the government’s tax policy a human face.
They recalled their strong support base for the governor when he was campaigning for election and urged him to consider the prevailing harsh economic realities in the country.
They noted that, though, the burden of payment of the stipulated revenue would be heavy on them due to other personal challenges such as payment of house rents, children’s school fees, maintenance of their tricycles, increase in the price of petrol, keeping to term of agreement with owners of some of the tricycles who are on hired purchase arrangements and others; they look forward to further negotiations with a view to scaling down the revenue in order to better their lots.
Special Adviser (SA) to Governor Soludo on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Mr. Isaac Okoro said the Governor has embarked on key reforms to change the past narratives of multiple taxations as it affects payment of revenues.
He insisted that the present government would not tolerate any form of distractions and civil disobedience.
“The only way we can support the government is to reason together in resolving some of the issues. The government will not tolerate distractions and touts and the government has resolved that every tricycle operator will be paying N600 on daily basis devoid of any harassment at the parks or stations.
Vice chairman of TOAN, Hon. Mark Onykwere who spoke on behalf of the state chairman, said the essence of the meeting was to enable members to know their stand on government policies and programmes.
He pointed out that the association supported Governor Soludo during his electoral campaign so he could bring solution to the state by removing all the illegal revenue collection, touts, multiple taxations and problem of harassment.
He urged the riders to always stick to their routes and take necessary steps to register with the state government for proper identification.