FIRS shuts Costain W/ Africa over N2bn tax debt

In continuation of its efforts to recover unpaid taxes, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), yesterday in Lagos, sealed the offices of Costain West Africa Plc., First Deepwater Discovery Limited, CAT Construction Group Limited and OPI International Limited.
The FIRS enforcement team, led by Anita Erinne, arrived Costain West Africa office, located at 174, Funso Williams Avenue, off Apapa/Oshodi Expressway about 1p.m. About half an hour later, the company was sealed.
According to the FIRS, Costain West Africa Plc. owes N2 billion in Company Income Tax, Value Added Tax and other taxes.
Also, First Deepwater Discovery Limited, located at 20, Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, has tax liabilities of N230 million, made up of withholding tax, education tax and value added tax, while CAT Construction Group Limited, located at 20C, Ogunlewe Street, off Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, is owing N176 million in taxes.






OPI International Limited, located at UBA House, Marina, owes N3 million in company income tax and value added tax.
A top management staff of OPI pleaded with the enforcement team to grant the company an extension of the grace period for the resolution of its tax liabilities.
However, Anita Erinne, leader of the FIRS enforcement team, ignored pleas and ordered the office sealed after she had ordered the staff out of the office. In Onitsha, Anambra State, the FIRS team shut down four business premises.
At the Building Materials International Market, Ogbunike, the team closed down the offices of Shoelz International Limited over a tax debt of N32 million.
Also affected by the enforcement exercise was Midfield West Africa Limited, which defaulted on a tax obligation of N11 million. Felixo International Hotel Limited in Oba was sealed for owing taxes totalling N15 million. Also in Onitsha, Ekwenibe and Sons Trading Company Limited was shut over a tax liability of N78 million.