Friday, March 29, 2024

Government concerned with tax evasion

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Ministry of Finance Public Relations Officer Chileshe Kandeta (L)
Ministry of Finance Public Relations Officer Chileshe Kandeta (L)

Government has prodded business houses to ensure that they meet their tax obligations to the state.

Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba said government was concerned with emerging incidences of shop operators and traders avoiding to pay tax.

Mr. Yamba further said government was disturbed by the entrenched habit of some business houses selling goods without issuing cash register receipts to buyers.

He said government does not want to continue losing revenue that is needed to undertake development programmes aimed at improving the welfare of Zambians.

Mr. Yamba pointed out that failure by traders to issue receipts results in reduced VAT collections from the retail sector which impedes government’s vision of improving tax collections for accelerated development.

He has since urged business owners that meet respective tax thresholds to issue official sale receipts and keep proper sale records in order to integrate the resource base for financing employment creation, poverty reduction and social development.

Mr. Yamba has further called upon the general public to be vigilant and patriotic by exercising their civic duty of insisting on being given receipts for any purchase they make.

This is according to a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Ministry of Finance Public Relations Officer Chileshe Kandeta.

10 COMMENTS

  1. WHAT ABOUT THE POST NEWSPAPER, DID THEY FINALLY PAY THEIR DUES. THEY MUST LEAD BY EXAMPLE INSTEAD OF JUST BEING TOO TALKATIVE ON THE SAME TAX ISSUE AND YET THEY ALSO DON’T PAY.

  2. The entire Kamwala shopping area does not pay taxes. Last time I was in Zambia some Indian man thought I was stupid for demanding a receipt after buying a few things from his shop. Zambians generally are docile and do not care for receipt. It is high time ZRA bought cash machines for every business to make sure they pay taxes. It is funny that some well equipped shops in Lusaka do not even have cash machines to record transactions.

  3. Very important topic in national interest yet only three comments! Amazing Zambian mentality to say the least. If it was politics we could’ve seen 1 million contribution and analysis. At this rate we’re going I can only see a Greece destination

    • The lack of interest is that tax is really for the benefit of the politicians and senior civil servants. Every govt servicr has to be paid for in Zambia including forms, inspection visits by regulators, parking in muddy potholed cat parks, any assistance from police etc. Tax is for the benefit of the corrupt politicians and their henchmen. Any capital infrastructure is from donor funds or remnants after stealing of eurobonds. All taxes are consumed by recurrent expenditures I. e. salaries and emoluments.

  4. Our leaders need to be serious with what they! Look at the AG’s report year in year! There’s so much wastage en no one gets punished for these wrongs. I feel this cud be one reason for tax evasion! Why pay when the money will land in someone’s pocket?

  5. I’m surprised Fredson Yamba hasn’t also really stressed tax evasion by big cooperations especially after the recent allegations against Zambia Sugar, The Post, the mines, etc

  6. Indeed this is a serious issue with very few comments. The Government needs to tackle this issue head on and devise ways to maximize tax collection from everyone who is eligible to pay e.g. street vendors, landlords, retailers etc. In other countries you are better off killing another human being than not filling your tax returns!

  7. The issue is not so much Tax collection, that will never be enough. It’s for Ministers like Yamba who should reduce government spending as that is where the most waste is. Penalising those already paying does not help, government has to put what is collected to good use. Current scenario is more is spent compared to what is collected. Don’t target those that work hard to earn a living, target your expenses, let’s get rid of the tax free vehicles you drive for a start.

  8. Well, its a good move, perhaps we need to see were that money goes and how it benefits traders and customers because much of the things government talk about goes towards them having enough money in they pockets and we don’t see them justify the need to do that in the first place. Image i am shop own operating very well without gov. interfering with my business and when they show up to say tax nothing change but still be paying tax.
    We need to empower and promote the local businessman in the country and then well is that change to be necessary.

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