The Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) has sealed the premises of Rongtai Plastic Company Limited and eight other corporate entities operating in Utesi community, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, over alleged unpaid tax liabilities totalling ₦8.982 billion.

A statement made available to journalists on Friday by the Head of Corporate Communications and Taxpayers Enlightenment Service of the Edo IRS, Courage Eboigbe, said the affected companies failed to remit taxes amounting to ₦8,982,000,000 (Eight Billion, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Two Million Naira).

According to Eboigbe, the affected companies are predominantly Chinese-owned firms operating in the area.

He listed the companies as Rongtai Plastic Company Limited, Rongtai Hardware Limited, Rongtai Energy Technology Company Limited, Rongtai Building Materials Company Limited and Rongtai Food Company Limited.

Others are Five Star Wire and Cable Company, Xin Guo Technology Nigeria Limited, Changrong Wood Nigeria Limited and Shunda Nigeria Enterprise.

Eboigbe said the tax liabilities arose from the companies’ failure to comply with statutory tax obligations, including failure to register their employees for Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax, file annual employers’ tax returns, and deduct and remit PAYE taxes.

He explained that before the enforcement action, the EIRS had individually served the nine companies with formal notices detailing their respective tax liabilities.

Despite repeated reminders and demands for compliance, he said the companies failed to settle their outstanding obligations, leaving the revenue service with no option but to seal their operational premises in accordance with valid court orders.

Eboigbe added that the enforcement orders would remain in force until the affected companies settled their outstanding tax liabilities, after which the seals would be removed.