Brands/Products
Tribunal Orders Multichoice to Pay 50% of N1.8trn Tax Backlog

By Adedapo Adesanya
A Tax Appeal Tribunal (TAT) sitting in Lagos has ordered Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of cable television services, DSTV, to pay 50 per cent of the N1.8 trillion tax backlog to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The tax collection agency through its Director of Communications and Liaison Department, Mr Abdullahi Ahmad, confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.
FIRS claimed that it discovered the backlog through a forensic audit as it showed that Multichoice Nigeria Limited had failed to pay to the Nigerian government in past assessment years.
He said the five-member TAT led by its Chairman, Professor A.B. Ahmed, issued the order following an application to it by the counsel to FIRS.
Mr Ahmad stated that the counsel made the application under Order XI of the TAT Procedure Rules 2010, which requires Multichoice or any other taxpayer who disputes their tax assessments, to make the statutory deposit required under Paragraph 15(7) of the Fifth Schedule to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2007 (FIRS Act).
According to him, these relevant laws are conditions that must be fulfilled before the prosecution of the appeal brought before TAT.
“In certain defined circumstances to which the Multichoice appeal fits, paragraph 15(7) of the fifth schedule to the FIRS (Establishment) Act 2007 requires persons or companies seeking to contest a tax assessment to pay all or a stipulated percentage of the tax assessed before they can be allowed to argue their appeal contesting the assessment at TAT.
“Multichoice Nigeria Limited filed the matter at the Lagos TAT following its dispute over FIRS’ issuance of Notices of Assessment and Demand Note in the sum of N1,822,923,909,313.94 on April 7, 2021.
“The amount constitutes what the FIRS calculated as due in taxation to the Federal Government of Nigeria from Multichoice after an investigation over several months to determine the extent to which Multichoice has been evading taxes in Nigeria,” he explained.
Mr Ahmad noted that at Tuesday’s hearing of the matter in appeal, Multichoice Nigeria Limited amended its notice of appeal and thereafter sought through its counsel, Bidemi Olumide of AO2 law firm, for an adjournment of the proceedings to enable it to respond to the FIRS’ formal application for accelerated hearing of the appeal.
“In response, the FIRS counsel asked TAT to issue an order requiring that Multichoice makes the statutory deposit of 50 per cent of the disputed sum.
“The counsel also prayed TAT to direct Multichoice to produce before the tribunal the integrated annual report and management account statements of Multichoice Group Ltd for tax years 2012 to 2020, among other prayers.
“After hearing arguments from both sides, TAT upheld the FIRS Act and directed Multichoice Nigeria Limited to deposit with the FIRS the amount prescribed by the law, which is an amount equal to the tax charged upon Multichoice in the preceding year of assessment.
“Or one half of the tax charged by the assessment under appeal (whichever is lesser), plus a sum equal to 10 per cent of the said deposit as a condition precedent for further hearing of the appeal.
“Thereafter, TAT adjourned the appeal to September 23, 2021, for the continuation of the hearing, subject to compliance with the tribunal’s order,” he said.
This would not be the first brawl as the FIRS had in July announced its plan to engage some commercial banks as agents to freeze and recover N1.8 trillion from accounts of Messrs MultiChoice Nigeria Limited (MCN) and MultiChoice Africa (MCA).
The agency had explained that the decision to appoint the banks as agents and to freeze the accounts was due to the groups’ continued refusal to grant FIRS access to their servers for audit and it discovered that the companies persistently breached all agreements and undertakings with the tax organisation.
Brands/Products
Chowdeck Acquires Mira to Expand Offerings in Food, Hospitality

By Adedapo Adesanya
On-demand delivery platform, Chowdeck, has acquired Mira, a point-of-sale platform to expand its offering beyond the African food and hospitality industry.
The acquisition will allow Chowdeck to plug holes in inventory gaps, missed deliveries and untracked sales.
Founded by Mr Ted Oladele, a former VP of Design at Flutterwave, Mira offers a full suite of tools for restaurants. Customers can scan a QR code to browse menus, place orders, and make payments. On the back end, Mira provides inventory tracking, sales monitoring, and customer engagement tools.
It also sells hardware point-of-sale systems and already powers over 500 hospitality brands, helping them manage sales, payments, inventory, kitchen performance, and customer relationships
In a statement on Tuesday, Mira said with Chowdeck’s logistics and scale, it would offer seamless order-to-delivery workflows, more affordable last-mile delivery options for customers, and integrated solutions for both online and physical store operations.
“We are building the first true end-to-end commerce infrastructure for food and hospitality businesses in Africa, from kitchen to checkout to doorstep,” Mr Oladele said in the statement.
As part of this acquisition, Mr Oladele will join Chowdeck as Head of Product, and key team members will also transition into Chowdeck’s product organization.
“Together, we will continue building for the same people who made this journey possible: our merchants, our operators, our community,” he said.
Founded in 2021, Chowdeck has grown into Africa’s fastest-growing on-demand delivery platform, with over 1.5 million users and 20,000+ riders across 11 cities. Backed by Y Combinator and now operating in Ghana, Chowdeck connects businesses to customers in under 30 minutes, every day.
Now, with Mira in its corner, Chowdeck is evolving from a logistics company into a full-stack technology partner for the continent’s food economy.
Ms Olaseike Ibojo, Mira’s cofounder and COO, will exit after a decade at Paystack and building Mira simultaneously.
“Her contribution to Mira’s product, people, and purpose has been profound, and her legacy will continue to shape everything we build going forward,” the statement added.
Brands/Products
South Africa Imports Russian Vodka Brands

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Driven by shared strategic interests within BRICS group and accelerating their bilateral trade and economic cooperation, Russia has signed an agreement to export Russian vodka brands to South Africa.
The Russian vodka is among the best in the whole world. At the plenary session of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), South African Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, told the audience in his speech interlaced with applause that South would import vodka brands from Russia.
“We have a Business Council between Russia and South Africa, within the framework of which we discuss what can be imported from Russia.
“Just the previous day, colleagues told me that an agreement was signed on the import of Russian vodka to South Africa and, of course, to the African continent as a whole,” he said part of the speech in an atmosphere marked by a strong sense of optimism and with desire of strengthening business relations.
According to Vladimir Putin, “My colleague from South Africa said that vodka supplies to the Republic of South Africa have already been established. You know, this is a very correct, serious step. Why? Because if you drink vodka, as they say, you need to have something to eat with it. Therefore, this will certainly be followed by supplies of meat products or grain supplies.”
The traditional plenary session on June 20, was chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Several special sessions featuring business dialogues with foreign partners from Africa, Bahrain, India, Iran, China, and EU countries were conducted.
The Russia signed series of strategic trade agreements with participating countries including South Africa. In addition, American entrepreneurs also participated in SPIEF.
More than 20,000 delegates from over 140 countries participated in the SPIEF programmes which featured over 350 events, including 24 business dialogues with major partners. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) was held on June 18-21, under the theme “Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World” and was organized by Roscongress Foundation.
Brands/Products
GOtv Stream vs GOtv App – What’s the Difference?

As GOtv continues to offer more flexible ways for customers to access their favourite content and manage their viewing experience, two apps are at the heart of it all: GOtv Stream and the GOtv App. Although both are official GOtv apps, they serve completely different purposes. If you’re wondering which one to download or why you might need both, here’s everything you need to know:
GOtv Stream: Your Entertainment, On the Go
GOtv Stream is designed purely for entertainment. It allows you to watch selected live TV channels and on-demand content on your mobile phone or tablet without needing a decoder or TV screen. As long as you have an active GOtv subscription and internet access, you can stream your favourite shows, movies, sports and events anytime, anywhere in Nigeria and across Africa.
This is the app that lets you keep up with shows like Nigerian Idol, Big Brother Naija, live football, catch up on missed episodes, or enjoy a movie night on the go. You can also register up to four devices, like your phone, tablet, or iPad, but only one can stream at a time. If you like the idea of watching TV while commuting, travelling, or simply want to free up the family TV, then GOtv Stream is your go-to app.
GOtv App: Manage Your Account with Ease
Unlike GOtv Stream, the GOtv App isn’t for watching content; it is a self-service tool that helps you manage your subscription. Think of it as your GOtv control centre. With this app, you can pay or renew your subscription, upgrade or downgrade your package, fix common errors like E16, check your account balance, and even get alerts about promotions or changes to your account.
It’s perfect for users who want a faster and stress-free way to manage their GOtv account without needing to visit an office or call customer care. You can make payments, clear errors, and get back to watching in just a few taps.
In simple terms, GOtv Stream is for watching TV, while the GOtv App is for managing your GOtv account. One gives you access to entertainment; the other gives you control. They don’t do the same thing, but together, they give you the full GOtv experience.
For ultimate convenience, flexibility, and full control over your GOtv experience, it’s best to have both apps on your device. Use the GOtv App to manage your subscription and fix issues while you use GOtv Stream to enjoy your favourite content on the go.
Both apps are free and available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Once downloaded and linked to your account, you are all set. There is no better time to stay connected because GOtv has got you covered from now till July 31st. When you reconnect or renew your subscription, you get an automatic upgrade to a higher bouquet at no extra cost.
-
Feature/OPED5 years ago
Davos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years ago
Estranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years ago
Sort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years ago
Subsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years ago
First Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years ago
Highest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology5 years ago
How To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN