BIRS unseals Dangote Cement Company

Dangote Cement Firm (DCC) Gboko was opened by the Benue Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) after the company paid a portion of the PAYE/withholding tax owing the board of N69 million.

The Executive Chairman of BIRS, Mrs Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, stated this on Wednesday in Makurdi.

She said that the N69 million was part of the N218 million PAYE/withholding tax the business owes the Board.

According to her, the N69 million equals one-third of the company’s overall debt.

According to Adzape-Orubibi, the legislation allows cooperative organizations to pay one-third of the entire sum owing up front and pay the rest in installments, which DCC did.

Jos Disco’s administrative offices in the state had been shut due to an N433 million tax delinquency, she said, adding that talks were ongoing  with officials of the company.

“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.

The Chairman said the Board sent demand letters to the firms and followed up with reminders in accordance with sections 57 and 58 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA), 2011 as amended, while closing the companies.

She stated that the corporations’ seals were essential after all diplomatic options had been exhausted and the impacted companies had been given adequate opportunity to comply.

Meanwhile, the Board secured court orders on April 13th, but postponed their implementation due to the company’s critical services and the impact on the state’s economy.