Reps Demand Evidence of taxes, royalties, other Payments 

House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the recovery of N2.6 trillion being owed by oil and gas companies to federal government has instructed companies to ensure they prove they have made payments of taxes, royalties, and other payments since 2019.

Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the committee’s chairman, gave the directive during the resumed investigative hearing on Wednesday.

She directed the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to provide payment records on field basis from 2019 till date as well as all outstanding as at March 12.

The NUPRC was also to report on crude oil production, lifting, gas production, gas utilisation, and gas flare including payments for the period from 2019 to date.

Onyejeocha has ordered NNPC to provide details of the $440 million waiver granted to Nigerian Petroleum Development Companies (NPDC) as well as the outstanding debt owed to NUPRC, FIRS, and other government revenue agencies. That the records would be needed to clarify deductions made on remittances to the federation account from domestic crude sales.

She as well directed FIRS to provide details of payment and outstanding tax obligation as at March 16, with details of tax waivers given to oil and gas companies from 2019.

Adding that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should provide FIRS, NNPC, NUPRC bank statements for confirmation of receipts of outstanding liabilities from 2019 till date.

In a recent NEITI report, it was revealed that 77 oil and gas companies owe the federal government N2.6 trillion in taxes, royalties, and other funds.