Anambra traders pay lowest tax in South-east – Governor Soludo’s Special Adviser, as state begins shops revalidation

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By Alphonsus Nweze, Onitsha

The Special Adviser to Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Souludo on Trade and Market, Chief Evaristus Uba, has defended the tax and levies being paid by the traders in the State.

Speaking to journalists shortly after addressing Relief Market Traders, Ogbaru, a suburb of Onitsha,where he briefed them of the State Government’s introduction of payment of validation fee of N10, 000 by each shop owner in Anambra markets, Chief Uba said that Anambra traders pay lower taxes than what other traders pay in other South East Stated of the country.

Currently Anambra traders pay about N30,000 each as tax, development levy and stallage fee for those in Government markets but those in private market pay about N17,000 as only tax and development levy.

He said Anambra traders pay the lowest tax and levy even among others, saying that Keke operators even pay higher tax/levy than traders in the State.

Chief Uba said that the N10,000 revalidation fee for each trader is meant to revalidate and digitalize their shops, in addition to ehancing Government revenue.
He said that the validation which has commenced would protect the shop owners so that unscrupulous family members would not sell their shops without the consent of others.

The Special Adviser noted that with this validation, nobody can sell anybody’s shop without the knowledge of the owner and even Government officials.

He said they expected that by first quarter of 2025, traders in the State would have completed the payment of the revalidation fee of N10,000.

In his speech the president of Relief Market, Ogbaru, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu, said he invited Chief Uba to give the traders first hand information, so that nobody would say it came from him.

Pledging the commitment of the traders to comply with the payment, Chief Ochiogu said meeting the deadline would not be an issue since they can always discuss with Government.

He said the peace in Ogbaru was due to his open door policy and penchant to carry everybody along.

Ochiogu lauded Governor Soludo for the contract for erosion control work at the market which is progressing in ernest, stressing their continued loyalty to the Governor.