The opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) has demanded for an explanation from government as to why The Post newspapers was allowed for such a long time without meeting its tax obligation.
APC president Nason Msoni said it is incumbent upon government to explain why ‘their once upon a time partner’ was allowed to go without paying tax when people with small amounts are being harassed by the same government.
He noted that it is a serious omission for government and president Sata in particular to remain quiet when something serious like that has been going on under his watch.
Mr. Msoni explained that there is need for those entrusted with the governance of the country to be fair on how they run state affairs if the public is to have confidence in the people running their country.
“In civilized countries such an offence should have been a very serious scandal and government would have been forced to resign but of course this is Africa and this is Zambia anything goes which is unfortunate because the dimension of this case is so serious that we expect a statement from government telling us why such a thing happened and we are demanding that government must issue a statement because this is a serious omission on their part.
“Why should it be that their once upon a time partner was allowed to go for such a long time without paying tax while on the other hand they are busy snooping and harassing those that are owing very little money.
“We have to be fair in the way we run state affairs if we are to build and win public confidence in the way we handle public affairs its unfortunate and we take great exception in the way government has handled itself.”
He added: “Sata himself must take the highest responsibility as president of this country that such omissions are taking place under his watch.”
Mr. Msoni further noted that it was unfortunate that those in government are assisting in escalating lawlessness in the country by turning a blind eye on the wrongs of their friends.
He added that it is not the role of those elected to start doing fervors for the friends at the expense of national development and the many Zambians struggling to earn a living.
“I think that it is unfortunate that those in power tend to assist escalate lawlessness in government by cutting deals or letting off the hook companies and associates to renege from their statutory contributions to government such as tax.
“We think that it is not the role of those who ultimately get elected and form government to start giving colleagues, associates, cronies and protégés a fervor by deliberately exempting them from paying tax or turning a blind eye so that the system does not harass them because they have a preference for them that in itself should be an indictment on individuals perpetuating such illegality.”
He added: “I think that at the end the day individuals undertaking such illegal activities or illegality should be held responsible side by side with those evading tax.”
Here is a plausible explanation that is generic: Our very nature is avoidance. We try to save a buck here and there by avoiding both the statutory obligations as well as the moral obligations. This is why it is very easy to prosecute most of those who fall from grace in Zambia because they have all these failings that just come peeking out. The Post were OK while they were in cahoots with the oversight authority. Now it is payback. It is a cancer that needs uprooting! Wow! Zambian society is plagued with societal cancers, if this is just one of the many I know about…
Because Tax is not mandatory for all companies it is optional.
Are we talking about income tax? Look and learn from me
The jurisdiction of entities that pays tax lays on the government and if the goverbment sees fit that, a specific company is not obligated then be it.
Mr sata owes you , or any of these nonenties no explanation whatsoever,
Let us concentrate on matters that affect and makes this country better, as the saying says ‘You can’t make silk purses out of a sow’s’. This be it an error or a government decision should not be made as a scaoegoat for the failures of MMD which the PF are fighting to correct
Folks
Lets be clear here. Its not only Mmembe and kabimba who owe ZRA money. Its the whole PF cohort who run fly by night businesses. If you check with PACRA, all the companies being single sourced by RDA to do construction work still owe ZRA money. But because the directors of these companies, are in good books with PF they can not be pursued by ZRA.However, if any one is not in PF, ZRA is very effective in collecting tax.
Fortunately people like HH pay more to ZRA than all the PF minions put together. Thats why ZRA have failed to pin HH down on tax matters.
I doubt if Sata and his business empire pays fair share of tax?
Sorry for the typo’s fat fingers,
and Thanks
Thanks
Fire that PF cadre Msiska, in fact even ZRA workers miss Chritsomething Mwansa, he was a great Commissioner General.
@1.1 Mushota – Maybe you are just an employee and you don’t know anything about tax matters despite your ACCA, XYZ, PHd, CGCE, blah, blah, but those of us who own companies know that tax is mandatory.
People have spent time in gaol for neglecting their tax affairs – you just ask Wesley Snipes.
Haven’t you ever heard the saying ‘……… but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes’ by Benjamin Franklin.
Do you even have proof that The Post owe that ZMW8,000,000.00? Also, do you also have proof that The Post is the only private company in Zambia that owes ZRA money?
If the the answer to both these question is yes, then you have the right to demand that justice prevail, otherwise find something more constructive to do!!
Zambians are very, very petty, unfortunately.
kikiki, its like u catch a thief and he is asking you that ‘am i the only zambian thief to have stolen groceries? do u have proof that what has purpoted to have stolen is soap and salt?’ kikikikiki, ba zambai
@CNP; since the story broke about The Post not remitting taxes, neither ZRA nor Post newspaper have come forward with evidence stating otherwise! Now ZRA is trying its hardest finger pointing other culprits while they stay mum about Mmembe. I have a feeling someone is busy cooking up papers to exonerate Mmembe otherwise why are they still quiet about the issue?
You clearly do not understand National development, resource generation and service delivery by a government. It is either you are trying to annoy someone or you are completely a lost soul
Proof CNP ‘My foot’ This is an issue being raised to alert relevant authorities to pursue it. If there is any reason for suspicion why would you ask for proof. Quite synonymous with ‘the guilty are afraid!’
Let law enforcement agencies take over as from now.
Fred Mmembe has the biggest megaphone in Zambia. If the story by the Nation was not true all us would be looking for ear muffs to save ourselves from Mmembe’s vuvuzela. The story is true. That is why Mmembe is as quiet as a cemetery at midnight.
Come to think of it, an ordinary worker pays almost half of his salary to the govt in taxes,PAYE, yet this moron goes scot free.Stupid system.
CNP why should a citizen need proof when your own government official just revealed that , the minister’s word is more than enough evidence
Iyo kwena Ba Mushota Ba tutu. Typical of verbal ebola symptoms. She needs to be quarantined. Doesn’t understand a thing about taxation vis-a-vis revenue collection and thus government service delivery, infrastructure and general development. What a shame sister. Check your faculties before dropping down anything on this forum or anywhere else, in your daily life etc…
But I ,merely stated nothing but the truth Sir
Thanks
@CNP, unless u r blind or deaf, the evidence was displayed for u yesterday. Paying taxes is both a moral and legal obligation. It is quite clear that Post owing to their relationship with Pf, deliberately chose to stop paying taxes from 2011 when Pf came to power. And yet they choose to victimise small tax payers. If this status co is being allowed, there is no need to pay tax by anybody. Pipo bark a lot when it comes to the mines not paying tax ant yet here are cases of tax crooks. How r we going to develop the country? All developed countries have an efficient tax system. And then we line up to beg like fools from the same countries. Zambia will NEVER DEVELOP.
Unless the Post has removed VAT from sales of its news papers, in return there would be no tax to pay. But if customers bought the news paper at full costs taxes inclusive, It is a crime for the Post to pocket that tax monies.. Milking the country indirectly
What about Varun (Pepsi) pocketing not just VAT but also excise duty?
If I can remember, Hon. Musokotwane said that he acted under instruction from “higher authority”? Who can be that “higher authority” which can instruct Minister of Finance? Almighty or RB?
Also post couriers, iwe!
If you do not charge vat ,you attract penalties ,nothing like i did not charge vat.compliance rules are there. No ignorance in law.
YOU WILL JUST GET INJURED BY YOURSELF!!!!!!
ba mason truly you are a very useless politician .firstly you wanted to see the president live and upon seen him you changed the goal post.
atase..close the pf post..it has lost its credibility..
To all those that have responded to my comment, I thank you for the civil approach to dissenting views.
However, Im still not going to pass judgement as to whether The Post is guilty of any crime, as some sections of society have already concluded. As I mentioned in my comment, there is no proof that Th Post owes, or deliberately shunned paying taxes, their fate lies in the courts of law.
If however there is evidence that they owe ZRA the said amount, Im sure there are various avenues at ZRAs disposal to reccover the money owed. Everyone who has been in business long enough has owed ZRA in one way or the other and ZRA will actually propose ways in which to settle the money owed.
The point you have missed is the post stopped paying after the pf came to power and as such, as long as the pf is in power, the post will never pay and no one from zra will ever approach them. That is the reason we want Chikwanda to bite them. That Prisca banda from zra has to harass both the daily nation and the post
GO Prisca! More power to you. Bring some results. You are a true patriot.
Very simple,somebody pocketed his share.
Read between the lines. DM was a victim of its own publications. Mmembe knew what he was doing when he sponsored someone to use DM to expose a nonentity issue. He is clean and watch the space DM down he goes. The guy gave DM fake figures and without own investigations influenced by hate adrenaline, a story was bought.
Iwe, K24,000 is too little
Somehow it look like a case of acute collective dementia.
Who can remember “Report of the Commission of inquiry in to the operation of ZRA” published in December of 2011?
Who can remember subsequent press handout by Hon. Minister of Finance related to the same inquiry and the deliberation of the Cabinet on the subject dated 25th January 2012?
What has changed? Nothing. ZRA has not changed.
Grand corruption, nepotism, incompetence and intimidation are still “core value” of ZRA today as they were during RB administration.
ZRA exist to serve “powerful” and theirs associates. Unfortunately that is the truth.
@CNP there are many thieves but if you caught you cannot say but baliko benangu ba kawalala. It is you at this particular point. It is time the Post accounts for its sins
“Your Excellency, you have asked me to tell these two men to hold their own meetings,” Lungu said. “I am telling these men now to stop and hold their own meetings. They will come back Your Excellency after the elections to come and address the people.”
In instructing Lungu, President Sata said the rally was not organised for the two members of parliament to talk about themselves.
“Can you go and tell those two to hold their own meetings if they want to talk about that; this is not their rally,” he said.
Shortly afterwards, the PF choir was called to perform before President Sata addressed the gathering.
In his address, President Sata tasked Malwa to go round North Western Province once elected member of parliament to meet people and record their problems, which he shoul
Msoni umungulu, everything he does not understand. He even asked international community to find Sata? how can that be. Now i understand when they say atleast a presidential material should have wisdom not only academic papers.
It is unethical for a president of a poor country featuring as one of the poorest in the world to Have such jurisdictions. The President ought not to to give such exemptions. Zambia Sugar, Vedanta, Glencore, Mines enough! The total loss of tax potential is unacceptable. We borrow money to run the country. We can’t take a lackadaisical
Stance over this. We need to decentralise financial/economic power from the office of the President, so it becomes a mere figurehead. Financial Control should become transparent. It is a good exercise for ZRA, to attempt to collect from protected parties as it gives us an idea of where we are losing potential revenue AND why. If the president is in deed making these terrible decisions, he needs to go out and look at the poor.
Mr President if you dont allow the rule of law but you continue the animal-farm system, you risk civil disobedience of the state. Its high time you acted on Mmembe and corruption in govt. Mr president, I am sure you dont want to leave a legacy of dividing this country on tribal lines. Its happening slowly sir. Chiluba(Bemba) and other presidents united this country. Do something before its too late sir.
And this ***** calls himself leader of a political party. When aspiring for high office, it’s imperative for one to be wise. This msoni chap should have done his research thoroughly before his outbursts. What will happen if the post is found with no case? I’m not siding with the post but I don’t think the source of this story is credible. I was hoping to hear this chap say something having seen president sata strong and discharging his duties.
The Civil Society Organisations are the watchdogs. why not take the Post to Court, there a number of lawyers who could do pro bono on this issue instead of pointing fingers! Go to Court and everything will be heard and known