Akwa Ibom approves tax holiday for residents, companies

Akwa Ibom state government has approved a tax holiday for all categories of tax payers in the state in a bid to cushion the adverse effect of the coronavirus pandemic on people and businesses.

Governor Udom Emmanuel gave the approval on Friday during the State Executive Council meeting, directing the state ministry of finance to work out modalities for immediate implementation of this decision, according to the government’s spokesperson.

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Briefing government house correspondents at the end of the meeting, Commissioner for Information, Sir Charles Udoh, said the decision was in line with the World Bank requirements for giving out grants and support to state governments as well as a decision taken at the Governors’ forum for grants and reward to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

“Major decisions taken include the approval to commence a process of working out modalities for implementation of tax relief to tax payers in Akwa Ibom State for 2020 tax year.

“This is in consideration of the adverse effect of COVID-19 pandemic and in line with the requirement of World Bank for grants and support to state governments.

“It is also a decision reached at the Governors’ forum for grants and reward to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic

“Details of the waiver is being worked out by the Ministry of Finance and will be published in due course”, Sir Udoh stated.

Udoh disclosed that the council also considered report on leadership training for senior civil servants to be sponsored by the State Government as well as commissioning of blocks of flats constructed by the state government under the second phase of Barracks Rehabilitation Initiative for the Nigerian Army at the Six Amphibious Battalion, Wellington Bassey Barracks, Ibagwa, Abak, and announced that the blocks of flat would be due for inauguration in two weeks.

The Information Commissioner said the council also received report of a Memorandum of Understanding signed to settle an age-long boundary dispute between Nung Oku Ekanem and Afaha Obio villages in Onna local government area.

On the reopening of schools, the Commissioner said the Executive Council directed the incident management committee on COVID-19 to work out protocols and guidelines for resumption of schools and present same to the council for consideration.

“Exco also deliberated on school resumption and of course has not arrived at a final conclusion but the Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong and the State COVID-19 Management Committee have been mandated to workout modalities for resumption.

“If you recall before the partial reopening of churches we had to go through certain processes and protocol, here we are also going through the same process to ensure that no individual is endangered and the lives of our children and even the teachers are not endangered,” he added.