The Abia State Government has clarified that its ongoing tax reforms are designed to improve efficiency, transparency, and automation, rather than increase the tax burden on residents. Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, stated that the initiative aims to curb manual intervention and eliminate middleman cash handling within the State Board of Internal Revenue. The government emphasized that the shift to an automated system is focused on accountability and plugging revenue leakages. Additionally, the state announced interim financial support for 31 Abia returnees from South Africa and provided updates on various road infrastructure projects currently under construction across the state.