Finance and National Planning Minister Alexander Chikwanda has said Zambia needs huge amounts of financial resources for her to successfully accomplish the crusade of improving the welfare of the citizenry.
Mr. Chikwanda said this in Chinsali yesterday during the official opening of the first ever Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) offices in the district, which was upgraded to the provincial headquarter when a tenth province, Muchinga, was created two years ago.
The minister noted that Zambia still has a long way to go in terms of making meaningful impact on poverty reduction.
Mr. Chikwanda has since called for collective efforts in a bid to stimulate economic growth countrywide thereby improving the lives of the people.
He stressed that it was the onus of every citizen to pay taxes as government needs revenue to drive the country’s development agenda.
He further said government would ensure that all the taxes collected were used prudently to the benefit of society.
Mr. Chikwanda also explained that the low levels of investment have greatly contributed to the high levels of poverty in Zambia.
He said government would strive to increase the levels of investment noting that this was the only sure way of accelerating national development.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chikwanda has implored ZRA management to raise the levels of zero tolerance against corruption and all forms of abuse.
He said the authority should administer severe punitive sanctions against officers found wanting as this will serve as a deterrent to would be offenders.
Meanwhile, Muchinga Province Minister Gerry Chanda said the opening of the ZRA offices in Chinsali district would contribute towards the scaling up of tax revenue collection in the country.
Colonel Chanda implored ZRA officers to engage the community by explaining to them the importance of paying taxes.
He advised ZRA not to take a policing approach but rather that of sensitising in order for the tax payers to appreciate the benefits of paying taxes.
However, Col. Chanda appealed to the business community in Chinsali to make use of the ZRA offices by paying taxes.
And speaking earlier at the same function, ZRA Commissioner General Berlin Msiska said the creation of Muchinga province provided an opportunity for ZRA to open its first ever offices in the region.
Mr. Msiska noted that the opening of the Chinsali ZRA office would help bring taxpayers’ services closer to the people in the provinces.
He said taxpayers would no longer be subjected to covering long distances to pay taxes.
ZANIS
Wrong bwana Chikwanda. We don’t need massive resources to develop,we just need a massive change in mentality 1st and foremost -and thereafter the massive resources will unlock themselves.
@Tumbuku Pride; spot on. its attitude; positive attitude that makes people progress. We have huge resources, land, water, minerals, people; what resources is the minister talking about? What is required is change of attitude towards these resources. we stop giving away mineral ores for example and create value chains.
stop thinking that only foreign investments will develop Zambia and harness our natural resources, but empower Zambians to setup SMEs.
Please Finance Minister think positively and progressively; Maybe time for fresh brains really!
Zambia has massive natural resources however mismanagement appears to be part of our DNA. Zambian politicians have perfected the art of misappropriation and extravagance. We fail to identify and simplify things which would make us prosperous. It’s our human resources that need a massive overhaul if we are to stand any chances of developing.
Spot-on FutureZed. To “Honor-rible” Chikwanda, I wish to humbly inform you that the modicum of respect I had for you has just evaporated! You are such dreamer! At your level, you are such a liability and a high risk to Zambia, at the very least, if the only resource that registers in mushed grey matter when you talk about development is money. This is a clear manifestation that you belong to the old school that has its national priorities clearly misplaced.
Thinking of such nature by a finance minister is like that of a farmer who goes to a bank to get huge resources(cash) to harvest his yields! I dont like it when we have unwise leaders and thinkers like this one…!!!
Zambia needs”Massive resources” to develop, that’ s why these goons are desperately busy poaching into people’ s accounts to see which ones are fat and get the monies by force. All they want is to make a name that they are working forgetting in the process the negative impact they are creating to the owners. The Miners from KCM Plc were not serving money through Saturnia Regina in order help the PF carry out its selfish interests but all in all to help themselves because for a very long time, they have been subjected to poor conditions of services and poor retirement packages. As a government, you have done nothing to improve the welfare of Miners, 50 years since independence, they are still subjected to colonial conditions of service. Today you see their money and you want to..
steal it.Please, leave the poor Miners alone and don’ t temper with their money. The late President Chiluba did the same at vesting from ZCCM Ltd to KCM Plc and wherever the Miners’ money is being kept is not generating any interest at all and you say you are caring government, what caring, are you being honest to yourselves. Institutions like NAPSA are not institutions to trust as they are wholly government instruments and are subject to your voices. Leave the Miners with Saturnia Regina and they are safe in those hands as the growth of their monies is overwhelmingly good. It’ s like your centre of interest is to disadvantage your own citizens.
With such a mindset its of no surprise our public finances are in mess….how does he just spending almost 12% of our GDP on wages. This man is a relic and should be retired in the nation’s interest.
….he justify spending almost 12%….
Afuna chabe nkongole mudala uyu futi. He hungers for another commission in millions of US dollars for securing the so called massive resources required.
” Mr. Chikwanda has since called for collective efforts in a bid to stimulate economic growth countrywide thereby improving the lives of the people. ”
* Nationalize the mines
* Redistribute large scale land holdings to the people
* Build public infrastructure
* Set up an agricultural distribution and support system
” He stressed that it was the onus of every citizen to pay taxes as government needs revenue to drive the country’s development agenda. ”
Every citizen, except the transnational corporations, whose profits come from the minerals THAT BELONG TO THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
So now the minister wants to bleed the poor people of the country even more, just because he doesnt’ have the guts or was paid not to collect taxes or dividends from the mines.
@Dadue, and Chikwanda goes on world tour with a big begging bowl to beg for dollars, rimbi, euro, rupee, kroner, taka, rupiah, lira, gilder, rands, pula, zim dollars, shillings, dinar, and whatever to source resources for stealing by his boss and family tree.