By Jude Michael
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has announced incentives to cushion the effect of the hardship caused by the removal of subsidy from petrol.
The governor made the pronouncement on Monday, stating that over 300, 000 households would receive bags of rice from the state government.
Soludo in a press statement he personally signed, said: ‘Anambra State Government will be distributing rice to over 300, 000 households in the coming weeks across the 326 wards in Anambra.
‘The following highly vulnerable persons are exempted from all forms of taxation/levies. Hawkers, wheel barrow and truck pushers, vulcanizers, artisans, okada drivers, petty traders with capital of less than N100, 000; etc.
‘The IGR payments of all transporters; Keke, minibus, etc, are hereby reduced by 20% with effect from September 01, 2023.”
Soludo said the mantra of his party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was, ‘’Be your brother’s and sister’s keeper’’, and said there was no better time to exhibit it than now.
‘There is no better time to rise up to the full essence of our motto and ideological stance on behalf of the ordinary persons than now.
‘In our 2024 budget, we shall roll out a more comprehensive agenda to address the medium to longer term issues that will help to smoothen the path for all our residents and ensure that everyone shares in our broad agenda of building a livable and prosperous homeland.
‘In the meantime and over the remaining four months of the year (September – December 2023), as well as within the context of our 2023 budget framework, we are rolling out a few immediate and medium term measures.
‘Our response recognizes that the subsidy removal affects all citizens, especially millions of the unemployed and underemployed youths and vulnerable segments of the population.
‘Our interim response reflects the need to target the total population,’ Soludo said.
