The enforcement taskforce of the Federal
Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, has sealed off
seven out of the 16 companies owing taxes of
over N110million in Plateau State.
Among the defaulting companies are a
borehole drilling company and a night club.
However, the taskforce met stiff resistance
from the military Special Taskforce on Jos
crisis, STF, while closing down the Hillstation
Hotel.
The STF, who were armed, threatened to open
fire on the FIRS taskforce and tore off the
sealed notice on the gates of the hotel.
It was gathered that some of the senior
officers of the STF lived in the hotel, while
the premises served as a parking lot for the
STF.
Hillstation Hotel is adjacent to the
headquarters of the STF.
The STF insisted that the FIRS taskforce
handover the keys of the hotel. The FIRS,
however, warned that the hotel should not be
opened for business and locked major halls of
the hotel
Meanwhile, the assistant director Tax
Controller, Udo Monday, said the exercise was
a nationwide enforcement, insisting that
defaulting companies must comply.
He said 16 organizations in Plateau State
defaulted in payments of over N110 million.
“Our counterpart in Sokoto sealed off 20
companies yesterday (Monday),” he said.
“Federal government needs money to carry
out its mandate.”
The staff of the Hillstation Hotel, who spoke
with reporters, revealed that the management
of the hotel was owing 17 months salaries.
The action of the Federal Inland Revenue
Service FIRS disrupted an ongoing workshop
of Plateau Peace Practioners holding at the
hotel, as guests had to vacate immediately.
Other companies sealed included Lomonde
Hotel, Magnum night club, Goodlife
Restaurant, Frenzy Suite & Lounge, Ken
Palace, Anderson Drilling Nigeria Limited, a
borehole and water engineering company and
Dadinkowa Micro Finance Bank.
The micro finance bank was allegedly owing
more than N20 million. Lamonde Hotel owed
about N8.5 million. All the hotels sealed were
in Jos north local government area.
A senior staff of the Lamonde hotel said the
management of the hotel paid N1.5 million
into the account of the FIRS on Tuesday, but
the taskforce insisted on locking up the hotel.
The officials of the FIRS insisted that the
payment must be more than half of the
amount owed before the hotel was reopened.
“N1.5 million is too meagre considering what
Lamonde is owing,” it said.
The managing director, Dadinkowa Micro
Finance Bank, Jeremiah Jatau, who addressed
journalists through the window shortly after
the bank was sealed off by the taskforce, said
the bank had not defaulted.
According to him, the bank had pending
issues with the FIRS but not payment of taxes.
It was learnt that a security man at the
Anderson Drilling Nigeria Limited had not be
paid his N7, 000 monthly salary for 14 years
due to bad business.
An executive of the company explained that
he could not afford the N300, 000 in taxes.
The FIRS taskforce said the affected
organizations would be sued at the Tax
Appeal Tribunal if they reopened their
businesses without adequate permission.
Premium times.
No comments: