The Enugu State Internal Revenue Service has sealed two shopping malls- ShopRite and SPAR over alleged non-remittances of purchase tax to the government.
This was made known in a statement signed by the service spokesperson, Nnamdi Eneh, on Tuesday morning following the enforcement drive.
It stressed that the malls would remain closed until the issues at hand were resolved.
The Service accused the malls and stores affected of refusing to remit withholding purchase taxes despite being served several warning notices.
Eneh said ESiRS officials also sealed Roban Stores and Mama Onyinye restaurant among others for the same offence.
According to him, the taxes the government is demanding from the malls, stores and businesses include purchase tax on the goods that the buyers pay whenever they patronise their outlets.
He quoted the ESIRS HOD eateries, bars, hotels, and shopping malls, Perpetual Egwuonwu, as saying that the agency had visited the sealed malls on several occasions to request the purchase tax but they failed to remit such.
Egwuonwu added they have also pleaded with the concerned individuals to remit their taxes when due, but “have been recalcitrant and till now they have not done anything concerning these instructions.”
“It is worthy of note that after we met with the Roban store they displayed our sticker and have complied with remitting their purchase tax to the IRS. On the other hand, ShopRite has frustrated all our efforts to get them to do the needful.
“It is always one story or another. Eventually they promised us that before the end of February, they would do something, but we are in March and the ESIRS has not heard from them,” she said.