Bayelsa goes after tax defaulters, seals off oil services firm

As part of efforts to increase its Internal Generated Revenue (IGR), the Bayelsa State Board of Internal Revenue yesterday sealed off the premises of Hilong Oil Services and Engineering Company (HOSEC) for defaulting in its tax obligations to the state.

This is coming a few days after the state government disclosed that its revenue generation drive was yielding the desired results as it recorded N1.13 billion IGR) for the first time in March this year.

Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd.), who announced this at a briefing said the amount was an improvement on the N983 million it generated in February.

Having obtained the necessary court orders, the enforcement team together with the court bailiff and security agents went to the firm located at the Elebele Light Industrial Estate in Ogbia local council area of the state and sealed off its premises.

Justice G. Omukoto of the High Court of Bayelsa State in the suit marked SHC/13M/2017 granted the applicants, the Board of Internal Revenue leave to close firm’s premises over unpaid taxes under the personal income tax act amounting to N109.5 million.

Director of the board’s Compliance Unit, Robert Lokoson explained that the firm had been owing the state government taxes since 2013, adding that they took the last resort after exhausting all avenues to get the company to comply with the state’s tax regulations.