15th June, 2022
By Emmanuel Antswen
The Benue Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) has unsealed Dangote Cement Company (DCC) Gboko after the company remitted N69 million part of the PAYE/withholding tax owed the board.
Mrs Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, the Executive Chairman, BIRS said this on Wednesday in Makurdi.
She said the N69 million the company paid as part of the N218 million PAYE/withholding tax it owed the Board.
According to her, the N69m represents one-third of the total amount owed by the company.
Adzape-Orubibi explained the law permitted cooperate organisations to pay an initial one-third of the total amount owed and pay the balance by instalments, which DCC complied with.
Administrative offices of Jos Disco had remained sealed in the state over an N433 million tax default, she added that discussions with officials of the company were ongoing.
“We have a human face and the law does that for us too, you can pay one-third of what you are owing so Dangote paid one-third of N218 million, which is about N69m the next day.
“The company also made a commitment to paying the balance in instalments. But Jos Disco is yet to do that; so if you go around Makurdi, Otukpo and Gboko, all their administrative offices are under seal,” she said.
While sealing the companies, the Chairman said the Board sent demand notices to the companies and followed it up with reminders as contained in sections 57 and 58 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA), 2011 as amended.
She explained that the sealing of the companies became necessary after exhausting all forms of diplomacy and giving the affected companies ample time to comply.
Meanwhile, the Board obtained court orders on the 13th of April but delayed its execution because of the essential services rendered by the company and its effect on the economy of the state.
NAN