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• FIRS shuts Akume’s hotel, two others
A top departmental retail outlet and some commercial banks were among the 39 firms shut yesterday by the Oyo State Inter-ministerial Tax Enforcement Team.
Other businesses affected by the action are private hospitals, filling stations and events centres.
The Oyo State government recently reinforced the relevant laws to ensure the payment of taxes, levies, duties and other rates by corporate organisations and individuals.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Biyi Oloko, said this became necessary as many of the companies failed to pay rates, taxes, development levy and renewal of business premises registration fees despite all the notices served on them.
Also, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Abuja, yesterday sealed off two hotels and an eatery in Makurdi the Benue State capital for tax evasion charges.
The hotels are Haf Haven Hotel, Makurdi belonging to Senator George Akume and his wife, Regina, Gwalina Suites Nigeria Limited, off Railway By- pass, High-level and Treaties Bukka located on old Otukpo road, Makurdi.
According to the team, Akume’s hotel has refused to remit over N4 million Value Added Tax (VAT) to government since 2011, Bukka eatery owes N52 million in unremitted withholding tax and VAT from 2013 to 2015 and Gwalina hotel owes N13,518,493.00 unpaid tax liabilities.
