Osun Begins Mass Revenue Enforcement, Seals Off About 80 Outlets
Osun State Government has commenced mass enforcement of payment of taxes, levies and other charges due to the state by sealing off premises of tax defaulters across the state.
No fewer than 80 establishments including private schools, hotels, clubhouses and centres, filling stations among others were consequently sealed off by combined team of State Internal Revenue Service and security operatives.
Armed with a court order allowing the seal off of the affected establishments, the revenue staff immediately seal off any establishments that failed to effect of their tax and other levies due to the State.
While carrying out the mass enforcement payment of the tax owed the state, some guests who lodged in some of the affected hotels were asked to remove their cars before the sealing off.
The exercise made owners of the affected establishments to source for money and pay off their dues to avoid sealing off.
While some complaint that they were not properly served nor given notice before the action, other said that the time they were given within which to pay was too short adding that the market is dull in the state.
But the Acting Chairman of the State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Bicci Alli said that the defaulters were properly served notices before the mass enforcement begun.
He disclosed that the state was being owed about N30billion as tax and levies.
Alli said that the affected establishments were given notices and reminder of the need to pay up their taxes and levies due to the State saying that the expiration of the notice the agency approached the court to secure order allowing the agency to seal off any defaulting establishments.
The revenue boss who added that after the secure of the court order, another 14 days ultimatum was given to allow them ample time to make payment to the coffer of the state.
Alli maintained that the state government embarked on the action in order to boost it’s purse for the completion of various ongoing infrastructural projects across the state.
While noting that tax default is criminal, Alli said that the government is not only enforcing payment of taxes but to ensure compliance by all citizenry across the state.
He explained that what the state is demanding from the people is not new taxes and levies but existing ones adding that the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola want to complete all ongoing projects and the only way to achieve this is through buoyant resources that could be generated internally.
Source: CityMirror
