Officials of the Anambra Internal Revenue Service, AIRS, and operators of commercial tricycles popularly known as Keke Napep on Tuesday, failed to reach common ground over the launch of a technology-backed revenue collection system, aimed at ensuring fairness in the tax collection business.
The technological device called, ‘TRANSPAY,’ will enable commercial tricyclists to pay tax only when they work, in response to their complaints that they were being taxed when they do not work.
Explaining the new arrangement, the AIRS Chairman, Dr Gregory Ezilo, said each of the commercial tricyclists in the state would compulsorily pay N35,000, for the installation of the device in their tricycles.
He further explained that the payment will be spread across three years, during which each of the tricyclists pays N250 every day, for convenience purposes.
Appealing to the tricyclists to accept the initiative, Ezeilo also revealed that the device also has a tracker for the protection of their tricycles from theft.
However, this appeal, and a series of explanations by the Anambra revenue helmsmen, and the Chief Technical Officer, Greengine, a Lagos-based company in charge of the installation of the device, Mr. Tony Okoye, did not go down well with the leadership of the tricyclists, who were gathered at the office of Unified Hybrid Enforcement Team, UHBET, in Awka.
The Keke leaders comprising chairmen, vice chairmen, and secretaries of various units in Awka Capital Territory, were adamant that they did not need such a device, even as they boldly expressed a lack of confidence in the government.
Some of them, who spoke to our correspondent shortly after the event, were Nibo Unit Chairman, Okwuchukwu Okoli; his Regina Caeli counterpart, Okpuno axis, Engr the Alias Okonkwo; the Financial Secretary, Awka North and South, Tricycle Owners and Riders Association, Pastor Sunday Udeh; among others.
In their words: “Times are very hard today in the country and Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s government must understand this.
“It’s only through this Keke we get what we use to feed our families and pay all manner of bills, including for security, which is the primary responsibility of the government.
“What’s this government doing for us? We’re the only ones paying them.
“Every morning if you come out to work, you pay the park owners. For every load you also pay, and every week you pay the government N2,000.
“Now, the government wants us to be paying N250 every day for three years in the name of tracker. We are saying no, we don’t want.
“The burden of the ones we’re paying already is too much on us.
“Actually, the idea for the tracker is good, but the problem is the payment.
“So, if the government wants it, let them do it for us free and charge.”
