THE Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs, Energy and Labour yesterday asked the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to state how many jobs have been created in the last two years.
ZRA officials appeared before the committee to give the statistics on the number of newly-employed people as captured on the tax data base.
Committee chairperson Mwansa Mbulakulima told ZRA commissioner general Berlin Msiska to return on Monday and clearly explain the numbers of jobs created so far.
Earlier, Mr Msiska explained that there were over 550, 000 formal jobs at the start of 2011 and the number swelled to 847,420 by end of 2012.
This prompted MMD Liuwa member of Parliment Situmbeko Musokotwane to question the statistics because he is aware that there were 700,000 formal jobs at the start of 2011.
“Now you are giving us different statistics. I don’t seem to understand,” Dr Musokotwane said.
United Party for National Development (UPND) Mazabuka member of Parliament Garry Nkombo said going by the figures given by ZRA, poverty levels should have reduced because it means that employment or investment has grown by 65 percent.
Mr Mbulakulima then requested Mr Msiska to return on Monday with “accurate” statistics.
“Give us accurate national figures. Come back on Monday and categorise the jobs created so far,” Mr Mbulakulima said.
He said jobs are very important to people because they bring dignity and self-esteem.
“Young people are looking for jobs and every government commits itself to creating jobs,” he said.
Mr Mbulakulima said unemployment is considered a major challenge that Zambia is facing and some sectors of society have doubted the 200,000 jobs so far created by Government.
Check statistics online why trouble people, umbuli bati
Is it online where ZRA commissioner General got statistics or from PF secretariat?
Is it not the same Msiska who was kicked out from state house by Sata last month, for… can’t remember the reason. Probably the worst ZRA commissioner ever, bring back that Cliticles Mwansa or the white guy before him.
There are types of lies: “Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics” – Benjamin D’israeli. Clearly the PF and it’s statistical manipulation as a move to cheat development is only eroding institutional efficacy and credibility!
#failedgovernance
So Garry Nkombo has devised a way to check the rise and fall of poverty levels? No apologies BaGarry, but employment does not immediately equate or covert to reduction in poverty levels. Some of the poorest people I know are actually employed. And some of the richest people I know are officially documented unemployed.
On the other hand, the ZRA chap was only bleating figures he thought the listeners would be happy to hear. If they had all been PF cadres, yes, but given the presence of experienced former finance minister and stiff-necked (icumbu mushololwa?) opposition elements (Garry N.) in the committee, he should have known better.
Yaba!! Less than a million jobs for millions of gifted talented hardworking youngsters.. Vicious circle indeed!! Good luck Zambians!
PEOPLE PLEASE TRY TO THINK AT TIMES. THOSE STATS ONLINE ARE GIVEN BY ZRA. HOW CAN YOU THEREFORE THINK THAT THEY WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE COMMISSIONER GAVE? COMPUTERS DO NOT GENERATE INFORMATION AS YOU PROBLABLY THINK!!
Sorry PF, unfortunately, this time around, you won’t be able to cheat and fool everyone. You seem determined to cook the numbers in broad day light. Is that the way you plan to rig the presidential elections in 2016?
Mark Twain: “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.”
Mr Msiska can only account for created jobs whose remuneration fall above the exempt income threshold. If some of the so called formal jobs have salaries falling below the threshold, he has no way of knowing as these are not registered for PAYE. I feel this query was directed to a wrong person. CSO are the ones responsible for the statistics.
I agree with you 100%
Poor Msiska, he’s a victim, a week link. its even lamentable that a committee on economic affairs doesn’t know where to get actual data. i wonder what data he is going to present when he returns! where is he going to get it from?
I didn’t know that people are ignorant of Z.R.A’s capabilities & responsibilities.
They have the data to present such information to anyone at any time but I am sorry to mention that, I feel Z.R.A is very much behind in updating their data base, may be by about three years or more looking at the way they operate.
You may be forcing them to cook figures.
enjoy wisely.
Why would ZRA submit employment statistics to parliament? what is the role of both (i believe) collaborating institutions such as Ministry of Labor and CSO (which has a mandate to conduct monthly and quarterly economical surveys which capture such employment statistics). I may be behind, but I believe the ZRA is in the wrong even to attempt or mandated to submit employment statistics; what tool are they using to come up those figure? with love sckers
Many such things are wrong. Plainly, decision making in our government is not fact based!
The problem is because we don’t have any reput@ble commerce@l or qu@si-govt entities that can verify and authenticate any economy statistical figures or any that specialises in monitoring such trends. So these government institutions get away with lots of l!es. There’s no proper checks and balances.
You would think the Central Statistical Office (CSO) would have such figures as well as other entities like the Bank of Zambia (BOZ); Ch@mber of C0mmerce; LuSE; Labour Ministry; Labour Unions; NG0s; etc. I doubt they even have any proper employment/unemployment data collection. I mean for such figures to be accurate, you need some kind of digital entry and database systems that would store such figures.
A person would be employed on contract job by the Ch!nese in Mpulungu, they would have no clue such person exists and should be counted on the employment figures. Does our B.O.Z even have monthly formal meetings and release any minutes that would influence markets like their counterparts in an enlightened world?
This entire country has really now become a j0ke… sad because in 2014 you would think we would be a little cleverer as a country. Are our IQs collectively really that low?
For those arguing it ain’t ZRA job to have employment rate figures, yes they should; how else would they know how many people they are supposed to tax and collect revenues from via PAYG, compared to those they are actually taxing? ZRA are the ones who need this info more than any entity.
As professionals we should have the courage to say “NO” to our superiors when they are wrong because a wrong is a wrong or else we shall be made to do what is wrong. Of course a “NO” will come at a cost but it will earn us some amount of esteem because making news for wrong reasons should be avoided by all professionals are costs. ZRA is a wrong place for people who cannot say “NO” to a wrong and it leaves us wondering as to how may wrongs are happening in the institution and nobody seems to cares.
@Mile, which “wrong” are you talking about? Say ‘no’ to the fact you think he was asked to produce ‘wrong’ figures? or say ‘no’ to the actual request? How can he say ‘no’ when he knows deep down he has cooked his numbers. Most likely as the boss himself he doesn’t even know the actual numbers because I’m assuming he spends his time drinking tea while his juniors do the job for him.
Fact is in Zambia, there’s no institution at the moment that is capable of producing such accurate figures; they can only guess and estimate – hopefully with a small margin of error!
If ZRA is any were closer to giving credible figures, the presentation should have been qualified by also stating the limitations. Otherwise, the figures presented are not very much at variance with the purported figure as it falls in between. Creation of jobs and tax registration can surely not occur at the same time.
Maverick is very right ZRA should have this information though with a margin of error. Msisika should just give the figures stating the margin of error and up to which date. The above also answers your question Miles. From above article the period of review was 2011 – 2012. Even Dr. Musokotwane’s arguement holds little water as 550,000 jobs could be true at beginning of 2011 while 700,000 could be jobs at end of 2011 with the election fever and formular one roads.
ZRA must definately have the data on employment.
Stop this culture of drinking tea while you let your juniors do all the work 4 you. Now have you seen where it has come to?you have to sweat to find accurate info for presentation on Monday.Makopala chomene asubweni
I wonder whether ZRA is the correct govt institution to get figures on new jobs created. I think Central statistical Office and Ministry of Labour have more accurate numbers.
people i think they mean employed by zra only
the only question they can ask the zra official is that. how many people pay PAYE at the moment
What a shame ZRA failing to provide right figures to parliament it only shows how those charged with national responsibilities are taking their offices for granted.ZRA is supposed to have information on its fuinger tips.
Marverick, the wrong I am talking about is that, it was wrong for the Parliamentary committee to have asked for such statistics from the ZRA Chief. The query should have been how much tax and how many were paying, and and not how many were employed. He was a wrong person to have answered that query. He should have said, “NO that is not for me; ask the Chief at CSO or the Ps Ministry of Labour”. In answering a wrong query, he assumed the number of the those who had started PAYE as being equal to the number employed in the period, which was wrong. Should we ask the Chiefs to go back and learn basics?