Anambra Procures Black Maria For Tax Evaders

The Anambra Government has procured two “Black Maria” vehicles to convey tax evaders to Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) mobile courts in the state.

Mrs. Gloria Obinwa, Special Assistant to Gov. Peter Obi on IGR, confirmed the procurement of the Black Maria trucks on Saturday in Onitsha.

She said that the state government was poised to recover all its IGR, adding that hard time awaited tax evaders in the state.

Obinwa said that the government had commenced Residential Data Capturing Exercise (RDCE) in the council headquarters and some strategic locations to identify those hosting business concerns.

“Those who have been served demand notices to clear their debts and those owing the government on sanitation levies and other debts are also meant for the Black Maria trucks,” the governor’s aide said.

It would be recalled that for years now, the state had recorded dwindling IGR earnings due to tax evasion and activities of unauthorised IGR agents.

The state government said it earned a meagre N300 million IGR annually instead of the estimated N3 billion.

Our correspndent learnt that the mobile courts, to be set up early next year, would be located in strategic areas of the state.