The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has threatened to penalise companies that fail to register for payment of excise duty, IgbereTV reports
The Comptroller, Lagos Industrial Command, NCS, Queen Ogbudu, stated this during a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday in Lagos.
He added that defaulters would be sanctioned after a 14-day grace period.
She said the grace period would start from Friday.
The Federal Government had in January imposed an excise duty of N10 per litre on all non-alcoholic, carbonated and sweetened beverages in the country.
Ogbudu said: “We are appealing to other factories that are not yet under the excise control because of the fact that they are not aware or they are hiding, they want to avoid paying excise duty, to come forward
“We are advising them to come forward and do the needful because in a short while, we are going to go all out for them and by the time we get them, we will seal their premises and make them face the wrath of the law.
“It is not fair that one will have a factory producing sizeable goods and they are not paying excise duty while others are paying.
“We feel we cannot just wait until you come to the command, even though the command has written to you intimating you of the new policy.
“When I resumed, I made sure a reminder was sent to all your companies before the invitation to come today, to keep you abreast of the fiscal policy that is duly signed by the finance minister.
“Carbonated and sweetened drinks, including fruit juice have N10 per litre; beer and stout, N40 per litre; wines, 20 percent duty and N50 per litre; whiskey, brandy, vodka and rum, have 20 percent duty and N50 per litre.”
