Reactions – both positive and negative – have trailed new taxes and rates announced by Governor Chukwuma Soludo-led administration in Anambra State. The new taxes are imposed on residents of Anambra State to take care of sanitation and related matters. The new rates are coming barely few weeks after a recent increment in taxes for commercial tricycle operators and shuttle drivers, which sparked protests by the two groups in the state.
The board of Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA) had placed a ban on street dumping of refuse in the state, a practice to be replaced with house to house refuse collections, with effect from 30th September. ASWAMA Managing Director, Mike Ozoemena, while featuring on the radio programme, “Anambra Tax Matters,” said the new taxes, which would be paid by all residents, including rural dwellers, took effect from October 1. He said more waste collection trucks would be procured and fuelled for waste disposal, adding that more waste bins would also be purchased and placed at strategic locations across the state for effective waste collection and management.
Ozoemena said the new rate was classified according to local governments, which could be rural, semi-urban and urban. He said the LGAs in the urban category include Awka South, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Aguata, Nnewi North, Idemili North and Ogbaru; while he listed semi-urban local governments as Njikoka, Idemili South, Ihiala, Awka North, Oyi, Orumba North, Orumba South, Anaocha, Nnewi South, Dunukofia, and Anambra East. The rural local government areas include Ayamelum, Anambra West and Ekwusigo.
For people in residential buildings in the rural areas, the annual waste disposal and management rate for a duplex was fixed for N12,000; in semi-urban N18,000 and N24,000 for urban areas. The agency said N6,000 was fixed for detached bungalows in the rural areas, N9000 for semi-urban and N12,000 for the urban areas annually. “Flat (2-3 bedrooms) will pay N3,600 for rural, N5,400 for semi-urban and N7,200 for urban, annually. One-bedroom flat in rural area is N2,400, semi-urban N3,600 and N4,800 for urban, yearly. One-room in rural areas will pay N1,200, N1,800 for semi-urban and N2,400 for urban yearly,” he said.
Speaking on the commercial categories, the ASWAMA boss stated that for banks, if it is Central Bank in rural LGAs, the rate is N600,000, semi-urban is N900,000 while urban is N1, 200,000 yearly. “For commercial banks, N240,000 for rural; N360,000 for semi-urban; N480,000 for the urban, annually. Micro-finance banks will pay N60, 000 for rural; N90, 000 for semi-urban, N120, 000 for the urban, while bureau de change will pay annual fee of N60, 000 for rural, N90, 000 for semi-urban, N120, 000 for urban. Insurance companies and others will pay N60, 000 for rural, N90, 000 for semi-urban, N120, 000 for urban. Going forward, hotels with 200 rooms and above will pay N480,000 for rural, N720, 000 for semi-urban, N960, 000 for urban, every year.”
According to him, hotels with100-199 rooms will pay N300,000 for rural, N450, 000 for semi-urban and N600, 000 for urban, yearly. “Those with 50-99 rooms will pay N240, 000 for rural, N360, 000 for semi-urban and N480, 000 for urban, yearly. Hotels with 40-49 rooms will pay N180, 000 for rural, N270, 000 for semi-urban and N360, 000 for urban, yearly; while hotels with 30-39 rooms will pay N160, 000 for rural, N240, 000 for semi-urban and N320, 000 for urban LGAs, yearly.
“Others with 20-29 rooms will pay N144,000 for rural, N216 for semi-urban and N288 for urban. Those with 10-19 rooms will pay N120, 000 for rural, N180, 000 for semi-urban and N240,000 for urban, yearly. Hotels with 1-9 rooms will pay N60, 000 for rural, N90, 000 for semi-urban and N120,000 for urban while Video rental stores will pay N3, 600 for rural, N5, 400 for semi-urban and N7, 200 for urban, yearly. Recreation, sport, park and leisure (big) in the rural areas will pay N24,000, semi-urban N36,000 and the N48, 000 for urban, every year. Recreation, sport, park and leisure (small) will pay N12,000 for rural and N18, 000 for semi-urban and N24, 000 for urban, yearly.”
According to Ozoemena, new rate for gaming house/pool agency is N4, 800 for rural, N7, 200 for semi-urban, and N9, 600 for urban, yearly. “Restaurant/drinking parlours (large) in the rural LGAs will pay N60, 000, N90, 000 for semi-urban and N120, 000 for urban, while Restaurant/drinking parlours (small) pay N24, 000 for rural, N 36, 000 for semi-urban and N48, 000 for the urban, yearly. Fast food outfits will pay N180, 000 for rural, N270, 000 for semi-urban and N360,000 for urban; while night clubs pay N60, 000 in the rural LGAs, N90, 000 for semi-urban and N120, 000 for urban. Others in the category in the rural LGAs will pay N24, 000, semi-urban N36,000 and N48, 000 for the urban LGAs, yearly,” he announced.
Meanwhile, some residents who spoke with The Nation described the development as counterproductive, saying the government was merely putting the cart before the horse. Some, however, applauded the government, insisting that government was considerate in pegging the levies. A resident of the state, Ebuka Onyekwelu, accused the agency of being more interested in the financial gains than rising to the responsibility of taking waste off the streets. He insisted that collection and management of wastes should be of primary importance to revenue collection.
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