By Sunny A. David, Awka
The Anambra State Internal Revenue Service says that gaming operators owe the state government over N500 million that accrued from the non-payment of gaming permit.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the state revenue service Dr. David Nzekwu disclosed this at a post-enforcement briefing at the Revenue House Awka.
Dr. Nzekwu noted that the agency embarked on an enforcement drive to collect gaming permits due to the state government from gaming operators.
The Anambra State Internal Revenue Service Boss explained that the enforcement drive took the agency round major areas in Awka metropolis where it discovered that a significant number of gaming operators in the state have not been paying for gaming permit to the state government even though he also stressed the need for gaming operators to reach out to the state gaming board to pay for their gaming permit.
According to him, the enforcement drive will be sustained to cover the entire state as well as recover revenue lost to defaulters.
He also stressed that it was pertinent for businesses that employ labour to register with the internal revenue service as well as deduct Pay As You Earn from employees’ pay and remit such deductions into government coffers.
Dr. Nzekwu said inasmuch as it isn’t the intention of the revenue agency to clamp down on defaulting business premises, Nzekwu maintained that the agency would always stay on the side of the law in enforcing compliance with payment of gaming permits in the state.
Meanwhile, Head of Legal and Enforcement Unit of the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service Barrister David Onyilofior said about eleven gaming centres were visited while other centres locked up their offices and fled on sighting the enforcement team.
Barrister Onyilofior also noted that the exercise would continue for people to know that the revenue agency was active and alive to its responsibility of tax recovery.
