Abakaliki – The Ebonyi State Board of Internal Revenue on Wednesday sealed off no fewer than 40 private and public business premises for tax and rates evasion.
Mr Ugorji Amaoti, Chairman of the board, said Government had to seal the premises for non compliance with the state’s tax laws.
The chairman disclosed this during interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abakaliki.
According to him, the private and public businesses are to pay waste management, business premises and fire service taxes.
“We embarked on enforcement and to seal up private, public businesses that have refused to pay their required taxes to the board.
“We had served demand notices on the business concerns, including the private motor parks, and given them time for the payment, while some are making payments others have refused.
“Those who refused to pay their taxes or acknowledge the fact that government deserve to collect revenue, are those who believe government have no business with their activities.
“I am also not aware of any strike by the mass transit operators but am aware that the board is having problems with some private parks within the capital city that refused to pay and had tore off the seals which is a big offence”, he stressed.
He said Gov David Umahi had been transforming the state and needed assistance with the revenue generated.
Amaoti stated that the payments were categorised into medium and small scales to ensure effective compliance.
“If the board serves demand notice and they have issues with the notice, we expect them to come to the board for explanation and resolution.
“The state receives very small allocation which is not enough to execute its projects’’, he said
Meanwhile, the Association of Mass Transit Owners in Ebonyi has commenced two days warring strike to protest against alleged multiple taxation by the government.
They said waste management, business premises and fire service taxes required of them were outrageous.
“We were in a meeting dialoguing to pay when the board started sealing off the parks.
“Business premises of N10, 000 now attract N100, 000, environmental fee which was N36, 000 in 2015 is now N120, 000
“We support and appreciate the state government’s rapid transformation of the state but people are suffering.
“And this could be avenue for faceless and corrupt persons to destroy government’s effort by extorting us.’’ (NAN)
