Enugu Government Shuts ShopRite, SPAR, and Other Malls Over Failure to Remit Taxes

The Enugu State Government has recently taken action against several major shopping malls, including ShopRite and SPAR, for their failure to remit purchase taxes to the government.

The State Internal Revenue Service (ESiRS) enforcement team sealed these establishments on Tuesday morning after they ignored multiple warning notices.

Other businesses that were closed include Roban, Mama Onyinye restaurant, and several others.

The ESIRS HOD for eateries, bars, hotels, and shopping malls, Egwuonwu Perpetual, stated that despite several visits and requests for purchase tax remittance, these businesses have not complied.

The ESIRS has attempted to work with the affected businesses to resolve the issue, even going as far as to air public service announcements to educate the public on the importance of tax remittance.

However, their efforts have been largely ignored, leading to the recent enforcement action.

Egwuonwu stressed that the malls would remain closed until the issues at hand were resolved.

The ESIRS spokesperson, Nnamdi Eneh, explained that the agency had no other choice but to take this action, as most of the businesses had remained adamant in paying their taxes despite the agency’s efforts to educate and plead with them.

The recent closure of major shopping malls in the state serves as a reminder to businesses to ensure that they are up to date on their tax obligations.

Failure to do so can result in significant consequences, including the closure of their establishments.