By Khalilu Sillah
The NRA workers are currently going around the business district and other areas of the capital Freetown, sealing off business houses that owe them millions of Leones.
During the operation on Wednesday, the team met with very strong resistance from staff of Sierra Leone Cable Limited (SLCL). The incident occurred after SLCL workers removed the NRA seal placed in front of the doors their premises, for failing to pay their customs duty fee which amounted to four hundred and eighty nine million, eight hundred and twenty three thousand, three hundred and twenty nine Leones forty-four cents (Le 489,823,329.44 million).
Managing Director of SLCL, Mohamed Sheriff, was invited to the Criminal Investigation Department for questioning; for breaking the NRA seal.
The act by SLCL, according to Mohamed Bangura, NRA’s Corporate Affairs Manager, is a crime. “Removing the seal without fulfilling the tax obligations costs one a fine not less than fifty thousand United States dollars”, Mr Bangura said.
Since the NRA launched is clampdown on tax defaulters, a total of ten business houses have been closed down. They include the ESS BEE international (SL) Limited that owes 50 million Leones and Initi Trading Company that owes over 256 Million Leones.
