As part of measures to broaden its revenue base, Delta State Government is to introduce property tax in urban areas of the state.
This was part of the decisions made at the seventh virtual State Excutive Council (EXCO) meeting attended by 47 members, with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa presiding.
In a post EXCO briefing, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, said the state government would embark on an enumeration exercise to determine properties that would attract tax.
According to him, the income that would be generated from the property tax would help the state government to execute projects that would positively impact on the socio-economic lives of residents of the state.
The Commissioner disclosed that EXCO approved a number of road projects to be executed in the state in its determination to deepen the Stronger Delta Agenda of the state government.
They include Okwatata street in Uvwie and its adjoining streets, Aliohen road, Ute-Okpu in Ika north east local government area and remedial works on Udu Bridge in Udu local government area of the state.
Aniagwu said a number of issues relating to the improvement of the state’s economy, at a time like this, were brought up, considered and approved by the State Executive Council, while some others bordering on social aspect of the society such as approval for some amendments to certain laws regulating the appointment of traditional rulers in some communities.
To further improve the state’s economy, the Commissioner said the state government was seeking a N10 billion naira credit facility from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for agricultural productivity which would attract a single digit interest rate.
The Commissioner pointed out that the repayment of the CBN facility would be shouldered by the state government and two private sector investors, stressing that the state government needed 2,507 hectares of land to go into large scale cassava production.
He disclosed that 1,007 hectares of land had been acquired, just as he said that government needed wide expanse of land to actualize the project expected to be established close to Oghara and Abraka in Ethiope west and Ethiope east local government areas of the state.
To make potable water available to Deltans, the Commission said the state government would collaborate with the federal government in the execution of water projects in the three senatorial districts under the P-WASH programme where it (the state government) would provide the sum of N295 million as its counterpart fund.
The Commissioner, also disclosed that the state EXCO approved the appointment of Obi Solomon Ezechiyelugo as the traditional ruler of Ashama community in Aniocha south local government area of the state, and ratified the position of Odiologbo of Oyede to Ovie of Oyede in Isoko north local government area.
At the virtual EXCO meeting, Governor Okowa directed all Commissioners to embark on inspection of all ongoing projects in their various ministries to ensure that projects were executed in line with contractual agreement.
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