House of Representatives has summoned the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, the Ministry of Industry and well as Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority to clarify allegations of non remittances of taxes to the federation account by major players in the maritime sector.
The resolution was reached during an interactive session with major players in the sector at the National assembly by the committee on Public Account who sought to know if Tenaris Global Services Nigeria Ltd remitted taxes to the relevant government agencies.
The company appeared before the Committee following a petition by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation against its perceived Sharp practices
Interrogating officials of the company, the Committee Chairman of the Mr Oluwole Oke, lamented that most of the oil companies in the Zone were deliberately shortchanging Federal Government with the connivance of government agencies.
Mr Wale Oke, also confirmed that relevant government agencies would be invited to give more insight into the tax compliance status of the company at the next public hearing.
He declared that the Committee was not out to witch hunt the companies but rather acting on the petition received from the appropriate quarters for the Government which must be thoroughly investigated by the Parliament .
Other Agencies that appeared before the Committee included the Federal Character Commission and the Bureau of Public Procurement who submitted various departments for the defence of the various queries raised against them by the Auditor General of the Federation.
SALIHU TSIBIRI
