The Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS), has commenced an enforcement of a court order against some commercial banks in Port Harcourt, for withholding information on tax paid to their depositors.
The enforcement code named: “Search and Seize”, disrupted commercial activities temporarily in four commercial banks in Port Harcourt.
The Executive Chairman of the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service, Mrs Onene Osila Obele-Oshoko, who spoke to newsmen during the exercise, also threatened legal action against defaulting companies and commercial banks.
Oshoko said that the court order, which was secured on 14th of September, 2015, empowered the agency to search and seize properties of the affected financial institutions.
She also said that apart from the court order, the agency was also empowered by section 53, of the Personal Income Tax Act 2011 as amended.
The RIRS Executive Chairman said that the affected financial institutions have failed to honour several letters written to them since September 2014, seeking for documents on withholding tax for account holders in their respective banks, adding that it was against this background that the agency secured a court order to embark on the search and seize exercise.
Oshoko further said that, the situation would ensure that the Rivers State Government is not short-changed by companies operating in the state in the payment of their taxes.
She said that the agency was determined to ensure the compliance with all relevant laws by corporate organizations on issues of taxes, stressing that this will also go a long way to improve the revenue base of the state.
The RIRS Chairman further said that, the agency will sustain its on-going sensitisation programme with a view to ensuring that no corporate organisation or financial institution will claim ignorance on its financial obligations in the state.
The two-day exercise, however, led to temporary disruption of activities at the four commercial banks affected by the exercise.
The banks are located at Aba Road, Olu Obasanajo Road and Trans/Amadi.
Meanwhile, some staff of the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) yesterday escaped death by the whiskers when their vehicles were shot at by fleeing armed robbers.
The incident took place around Nwaja junction, close to Nkpogu in the Trans Amadi Industrial Layout area of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area.
The RIRS staff had encountered the robbers at the Nwaja Junction shortly after leaving Keystone Bank located in the area where they had gone to enforce a court order.
Eyewitness account informed The Tide that, the robbers, who were fleeing from Elekahia area ran into traffic Jam at the Nwaja Junction and started shooting sporadically to scare people away, and to create space for their escape.
Although no member of the RIRS team was injured in the incident, an elderly man, who stood by during the incident, was not lucky, as he was hit by a stray bullet.