The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Imo State Chapter had decried the low Value Added Tax being generated by the state.

According to the party, the recently released data on Value Added Tax, VAT, as generated across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory vindicates its previous stand on the dwindling fortunes of Imo economy under Governor Hope Uzodinma’s watch.

Imo PDP in a press release signed by its state publicity secretary, Lancelot Obiaku, and made available to newsmen, alleged that the Governor’s leadership style had made the state “unattractive to investors.”

The party wondered how the State allegedly generated the lowest VAT revenue in the whole Federation of Nigeria, adding that even the second worst performing State, Zamfara, generated N432.80 million compared to Imo’s N235.41 million, an amount the PDP described as not only the lowest in the whole country but also “paltry.”

“Before they blame it on insecurity…it is worth noting that the second-worst-performing State in the Southeast (Abia) generated three times more, while Ebonyi performed nearly ten times better, and Anambra recorded twenty times Imo’s VAT figure,” he said.

The publicity secretary of the party revealed that Imo’s VAT contribution was a mere 0.2 percent of what Lagos generated, which represents an embarrassing disparity, pointing out that in its analysis of the nexus between the VAT figures and performance of States’ economies, the State recorded what he described as very poor performance.

“We are not in doubt that Imo’s dismal performance reflects the comatose state of its business environment and overall economy. Nothing can better mirror the state’s zero productivity,” the party declared.

Imo PDP also decried the alleged absence of what it called coherent economic blueprint to reverse the decline.