MTN Says Nigeria withdraws $2bn tax demand

Mobile giant MTN has said that Nigeria’s attorney general had withdrawn a demand for around $2 billion in back taxes in the latest step towards resolving its legal woes with the authorities.

MTN, which began operation in Nigeria in 2001, last year settled a $1.5 billion fine levelled by the authorities for failing to disconnect unregistered subscribers.

In 2018 it agreed to pay a separate $53 million fine after being accused of illegally repatriating $8.13 billion to South Africa.

The company said that the attorney general’s office had “withdrawn its letter of demand” for the back taxes and referred the matter to the inland revenue and customs services to be resolved.

“We appreciate this decision of the Attorney General which paves the way to an orderly and amicable resolution of this matter,” MTN Group CEO Rob Shuter said in a statement.