By Uzoma Akobundu
Application by Dangote Group of companies, Guinness Nigeria Limited, Flour Mills Nigerria Limited and other companies seeking tax holidays from the federal government has been rejected.
Other 12 firms had their requests turned down just as 10 other companies were lucky as their application was granted.
The 15 companies whose applications were rejected by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) are Umugini Asset Company, Aristocrats Industries Ltd, Guinness Nigeria Limited, StrongPack Limited, Grit System Ltd, Scott Industries Limited and Flexipack Ltd.
Others are Ultimus Constructions Ltd, NG Clearing Ltd, Dangote Ibese Lines 3 and 4, Dangote Cement Obajana Line 4, Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, Daraju Industries Ltd, West African Packaging Ltd and Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc.
The 10 companies that got approval in principle for tax incentives are: Amarava Agro Processors Ltd, Solis Agro Ltd, Indigo Feeds Nigeria Ltd, Polar Petrochemicals Ltd, Royal Pacific Group Ltd, Wacot Rice Ltd, Olam Hatcheries Ltd, Crown Flour Mills Ltd, Gowus Nigeria Ltd and Harvestfield Industries Ltd.
The pioneer status, according to the NIPC is an incentive from the Federal Government which exempts companies from income tax. It is also known as tax holiday and generally regarded as industrial investment device.
Companies with pioneer status do not have to pay tax for a certain period of time, allowing the companies to get established. This tax exemption can be full or partial.
The products or companies suitable for pioneer status are industries or products that do not already exist in the country.
Upshot reported that an analysis of the second quarter Pioneer Status Incentive report obtained from the NIPC showed that while 15 companies had their applications rejected, approval in principle was given to 10 firms.
The report stated that two firms had their applications extended while 181 other applications were still pending.
It put the number of firms currently benefiting from the tax incentive scheme at 32 while 104 companies had abandoned their applications with the NIPC.
Providing reasons for the rejection, the commission in the report stated that the requests from two out of the 15 firms were time barred, while the activities of 10 other firms were not covered under the pioneer status-incentive list.
For the other three companies, it explained that their applications were rejected because their expansion projects were not eligible under the Industrial Development Income Tax Relief Act.