The member representing Ibeno/Esit Eket State Constituency, Rt Hon Usoro Akpanusoh has stated that the soon to be enacted ‘Real Property Charge’ bill will not have any negative effect on the rural dwellers and the poor.
Hon Akpanusoh made this know during an interactive session with newsmen in his office earlier today.
Mr Akpanusoh who is the sponsor of the bill says the bill when passed will among other things help in generating revenue for the state through levies.
In his words, “the bill will not have any negative effect on the rural dwellers, rather it will help in generating revenues for the state”.
The Chairman House Committee on Finance and Appropriation also stressed that the bill is not targeted at a particular local government in the state, but the entire state.
Commenting on why the bill is important, Hon Akpanusoh said “it is necessary for us to look for ways of generating revenue for the state, considering the fact that there are many companies making monies from the state without paying back what is due to the state”.
He pointed out that if all the multinational companies operating in the state are charge small percentage and the money used meticulously; the state will witness a rapid development like other states.
Continuing, Hon Akpanusoh said the bill will give people the boldness to draw government attention to their needs, especially road construction.
“Through this bill people can easily drew government attention to come and construct road for them, because as landlord who pay levies for your property and the road is not motorable, you can tell government, look I’m paying for my property, but there is not road for me to access it, so come and construct one”.
He maintained further that other states who were privilege to have the property charge levy law before now are generating money internally every day.
It could be recalled that during debate on the bill during plenary, the member representing Mbo State Constituency, Hon Samuel Ufuo, had stressed the need for government to find an alternative ways of generating revenues how to develop the state without depending on federal allocation.
The Real Property Charge bill was read the second time during Tuesday’s plenary and committed to the Committee on Commerce, Industry and Tourism for further legislative actions.
The Committee is expected to submit its report within 3 weeks.
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