DELTA REVENUE BOARD INVESTIGATES SHELL, CHEVRON

WARRI - DELTA State Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR, has instituted a tax audit into operations of Shell Petroleum Development Company and Chevron Nigeria Limited, Warri, to unravel the reason for reduction in tax remittances in the last four months.

Chairman of the board, Mr. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, disclosed this to newsmen in Warri. He expressed dissatisfaction at the uncooperative attitude of Shell and Chevron on the matter, saying the oil firms had not given any reason for the sudden development.

He said: 'In the last three to four months, Shell's tax has been reducing. We had called for tax investigation into the activities of Shell. They deliberately prevented us from having access to their records on flimsy excuses.

'They keep delaying our move to check their books, claiming they want to perfect their records. They should not forget that there is a limit to obstructing officers of the Board from gaining access to their records.

'We know them to be law-abiding companies in their home countries and  we may be forced to invoke various laws.'