Shoprite Don Face Tax Trouble for Ikeja City Mall!

Lagos, Nigeria – E be like say Shoprite no wan hear word. The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) don go seal the Shoprite wey dey Ikeja City Mall because dem no fit meet dem tax obligations. Na wah! Abeg, wetin happen to dem?

According to LIRS, dem write correct notice for Shoprite door, say this one na serious matter wey fit attract fines and even imprisonment under Section 94 of di Personal Income Tax Act wey dem don amend for 2011. E mean say if dem no quickly settle dis wahala, dem go face serious consequences. (No be only fine, but cell too! Abeg, no collect pound of flesh o.)

Dem also tok say anybody wey try remove di seal without proper authourisation go sabi di meaning of true punishment wey dey follow am. E be like say dis tax palaver no dey finish anytime soon. (After all, na we dey pay tax, so dem better try handle am well o.)

But wait first. People dey remember say since August 2020, Shoprite don neva really find fresh air for Nigeria market. Dem dey plan to waka out because sales don dey decline. Even na im dem finally give dem business to Ketron Investment Limited. Wetin remain be say dem dey try manage issues.

For 2024, na another wahala be say Shoprite don close di one wey dey Wuse, Abuja, on top di same money issue. Now e look like say dem dey face serious shelves wey dey empty up for many outlets. E fit be say di customers don dey vex see di kind small things wey dey available for Ikeja City Mall. Na so e be for dis side.

But no fear, na di Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited (RSNL), wey dey run Shoprite for Nigeria, don talk say dem no dey shut down operations o. Shoo, dem dey do “comprehensive business model reset” to fit adapt to di current Nigerian economy wey dey shake like leaf for rainy season. Dem cheque say dem wan make 80 percent of di products locally sourced, just to stabilize dem business.

Meanwhile, Uchenna Uzo, wey be consumer retail expert, don come talk say na no be only Shoprite dey struggle for dis economy matter. He dey show concern say many retail businesses, wey no come from Nigeria, dey face di same wahala too. According to am, di high cost of importation, inflation, and di overall economic turbulence dey affect dem.

Uzo drop dis hot take: “Shoprite don turn Nigeria-owned now, no be South African wahala again. Na because of di economic wahala dem dey face di real struggle.” E bias no dey far, na true talk.

He also add say consumer behaviour don change as people dey prefer buy from smaller stores rather than di big supermarket heros. E bi like say people dem self don tire dey follow traffic go Shoprite, e no dey too friendly for wallet.

Uzo further explain say di new tax regime wey go start in January dey cause adjustment problem for many retailers, so no need put all di blame for Shoprite neck alone. Na real talk. E get confidence say di economy go balance out soon, but for now, e be like say na “take one step forward, two steps back.”