By Mumini AbdulKareem and Mike Adeyemi
The Executive Chairman, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS), Dr. Muritala Awodun at the weekend opened up on the huge debt owed the service by federal, state agencies and parastatals.
Speaking during an exclusive chat with Pilot Business in his office on Friday, Awodun said that KWIRS is being owed the sum of N9billion in tax by federal, state agencies and parastatals.
To this end, the service has been holding discussion with the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to intervene with a view to fast track the payment of the massive debt.
He said KWIRS will be embarking on another round of visit to Abuja this week in continuation of its resolve to recover the debt, adding that the service may be forced to deduct from source from the account of some of the defaulting federal organisations.
In an exclusive chat with this medium in his office on Friday, Awodun said KWIRS is much interested in assisting the domiciled companies in Kwara to grow and always open to discussion based on present economic realities.
According to him, the service had been very cooperative with organisations in Kwara and most times give waivers in some cases to defaulting companies which the law permits its chairman to do.
He further explained that the sealing of Skye Bank, one of its corporate, was the first by KWIRS over tax default in the state, adding that they are now on the same page.
“So many organisations in Kwara are owing one form of tax or the other from the federal agencies, ministries and parastatals and even to their counterparts in the state and private organisations.
“The process we have used in the last two and a half years is such that we approach, engage, discuss and negotiate with them. We rarely find ourselves dragging people to court (except after all options have failed).
“We are always open to discussion, especially based on present economic realities and we give waivers in some cases which the law permits the chairman to do. We have been very cooperative with organisations in Kwara.
“Federal agencies alone are owing KWIRS more than nine billion naira (N9b) and we have been going back and forth.
“Our people just came back from Abuja trying to negotiate with the Accountant-General of the federation where he is trying to mediate between us and some of these federal agencies. We are going back again to Abuja next week. We have dragged some of them to court and have secured judgment against them and we have written to the Accountant General of the federation to apply the law and deduct from source.
“Before that is done, he will finally bring both parties to the round table to reach agreement. A lot of efforts go into these things before we talk of sealing offices”, he submitted.
He said it will be difficult to put a figure on how much state agencies and parastatals are owing, adding that because they belong to the state does not mean the agency will not collect the money from them through the same process.
“Our approach is to pay whatever is due now while we are resolving what is being owed in the past which makes a lot of sense. We go to the Governor as regards that of the state just as we approach the Accountant General for that of the federal”.
