Friday, March 29, 2024

Government can no longer rely on borrowings to support the national budget-ZRA Chief

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ZRA Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda
ZRA Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda

Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda has said government can no longer rely on borrowings to support the national budget.

Mr. Chanda said it was for this reason that ZRA will continue to collect taxes through the available means as a way of raising its revenue.

He emphasized the need for tax payers to comply with payments of taxes to ZRA to avoid being inconvenienced.

Mr. Chanda added that the authority has the powers to close accounts of clients who do not want to comply.

He was speaking at a press briefing in Livingstone yesterday.

“ZRA will continue giving adequate information to clients through working closely with the media so that clients can comply on their own and pay taxes willingly,” Mr. Chanda said.

Mr. Chanda also explained that ZRA is currently implementing a lot of electronic systems to curb illegal activities.

And when asked how much was lost as a result of smuggling of goods at various entry points, Mr. Chanda disclosed that it was difficult to estimate how much ZRA was losing as a result of smuggling but said a total of K850 million was recovered from various smuggling activities.

Earlier, ZRA Commissioner for Customs Sydney Chibbabbuka said all the entry points in the country are frequently visited to check on the operations and that in Southern province, his team has visited Katima Mulilo and Kazungula border posts among others.

Mr. Chibbabbuka disclosed that there was too much congestion at the Kazungula border post adding that the overcrowding seen at the entry point yesterday during his team’s visit to the area was worrisome.

“Something has to be done at the Kazungula border post to deal with the congestion of trucks at the entry point,” Mr. Chibbabbuka said.

He observed that the procedures involved during clearing of trucks at the border post should be quickened in order to speed up the clearing process.

And ZRA Commissioner for Domestic Taxes Moses Shuko said his team was in Southern province to share with its stakeholders such as the media what revenue authority was doing.

19 COMMENTS

    • We’ve been telling you this for the last 5 years that PF is a Kaloba Govt with no other agenda.

      Today you’ve woken up when it’s too late. No one wants to lend GRZ money now bcoz GRZ has no capacity to repay.

      95% of taxes collected are going to debt service. When Euro-bonds mature in 2022, Govt will default unless they borrow more.

    • we should pay Tax but we heard the president say those who are custodian of our tax should eat from the tax. so you are working very hard ZRA to eat our money/

    • the government is broke because of bad governance under pamafi party.they are busy stealing our tax payers money ba koswe.Chakolwa Kadansa Lungu should also minimize on unnecessary travels…lol

    • “Mr. Chanda said it was for this reason that ZRA will continue to collect taxes through the available means as a way of raising its revenue.”
      As we were telling you docile foools 5 years ago about reckless borrowing and spending money on overpriced road construction projects whilst the pocket the excess…all this corruption and mess is passed down to you and your children ..we pay the debt.
      Meanwhile Kaizer is in the club posing with his $60K wrist watch…laughing at your docility!!

  1. I’m glad my money won’t go to support these clueless goons in power, busy enriching themselves. ZRA you should also pursue the Ministers who failed to give back our money since they are now cash strapped. Lungu needs some true friends to advise him against trying to run in 2021. You can’t be looking at 2021 with no plan in mind meanwhile the Chinese have a plan to reap you off through high interest fees on loans and get back all the money through contracts and supplies. The cheap infrastructure they build for you doesn’t even lasts, meanwhile you would have spent ridiculous money never to be seen again

  2. Can someone help me please , is it true that the head of the zra which collects taxes is also the owner of a customs clearing company. Tbought i read somewhere

  3. They can only collect so much for local taxes. To increase the revenue we need export more as a country.

  4. You an economy grows by stimulating employment and hence greater consumption which leadsto greater production. We are currently in a phase of stifling consumption by enforcement of direct and indirect taxes.
    These taxes effect the 6.5 provinces as well as the 3.5 provinces so the nation is stagnant or retrograde

  5. produce more goods & services of value. that’s how poor countries become wealthy. you can’t tax your way into prosperity. innovate,produce,serve

    • Yes on paper but in practice we have a lazy mindset from down to bottom….way is it Tanzania is progressing? There is political will to root out inefficiency and corruption…in Zambia leadership is myopic I mean who declares an extra holiday in March when financial year ending is next month.

  6. If politics was removed from ZRA then they will flourish. First of all if all marketeers and vendors had to pay the revenue k5 every month can you imagine how much money would be collected. the problem is vendors go scott free because of votes and if every working person under the tax base could pay k10 then we would be ok.

  7. When lungu was busy dancing spontaneously at airports , PF were being advised to spend borrowed monies wisely on manufacturing and key projects but the PF rats were telling us that investors will come flooding in after we spend $1million/ km on roads….after spending $17 billion borrowed money lungu and pf now only have options to tax and sell off Zambia.
    By all rights Zambia should now have been an exporting giant in our region for finished goods. Like we are still spending tens of millions of $s importing GRZ uniforms and work cloths is a crime.

  8. The run-up to 2021 will be the worst time for mother zambia. The Chinese , Indians and Lebanese know PF and lungu will sign anything for campain funds to stay in power.
    For the corrupt parasites this period will be the best to suck the blood of of people as anything and everything will be for sale for campain funds……..like the 40 year mopani concession signed in 2015 to pay non cost reflective electricity tariffs…for 40 years.

  9. Its an egg and chicken situation , bwana commissioner general. When you over tax the few available workers and businesses, there will be little to reinvest, hence no economic growth. Your tax base will be getting smaller and smaller with every collection you make. Ever heard of the Laffer principle?

  10. What Kingsley is saying is that since we have maxed out our credit card and no one is willing to lend us credit as we have corrupt and reckless managers …we will increase taxes so you pay for this incompetence.
    Meanwhile the AG Report will be out soon and we are still talking about the last report.

  11. ZRA is trying it’s best the problem is how the resources are spent,.
    As agent my self ,I’m happy with the efforts being made by ZRA, especially the withholding tax,the battle for all of us is to fight and make sure that our money is put to good use chapwa.

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