The Zambia Revenue Authority is dismayed by the political smearing of its donation to the Ministry of Health towards the fight against COVID-19 by Patriots for Economic Progress President Sean Tembo.
In its endeavor to provide socio-economic security to the nation, the Authority has donated K200,000 and Re-allocated its advertising budget for messages such as anti smuggling by replacing them with COVID-19 sensitization messages, a move Mr Tembo said is illegal.
ZRA Corporate Communications Manager Topsy Sikalinda says it is unfortunate that aspiring leaders mudsling the Authority at a crucial time when lives are more important than anything else.
Mr Sikalinda says the PEP Leader has of late been petty, criticizing everything that the Authority does to gain political mileage despite ZRA ignoring his statements.
He said the Authority has an annual Corporate Social Responsibility budget funded by Employees and the Government from which it uses to carry out charitable works in various communities.
Mr Sikalinda said recently, donations have been made to the University Teaching Hospital, City Market and Buseko market for toilets and water supply system.
He has reminded Mr. Tembo that ZRA will also prioritise a good cause for the nation such fighting a pandemic when it affects its operations and mandate at large.
The Zambia Revenue Authority Act was thus established as a body corporate and an agency of Government under the direction of the Minister of Finance. The Commissioner General who is appointed by the President, is the chief executive of the ZRA, and is responsible for the execution of functions as directed by the Board.”
“He said the Authority has an annual Corporate Social Responsibility budget funded by Employees and the Government from which it uses to carry out charitable works in various communities.”-LT
Wow, extortion at its best.
Wow, No words, Beyond me. Very difficult for one to comprehend. Government agencies making charitable contributions with the taxpayers money?
How much did ZRA really donate, is it K1 000,000 or K200,000? This question is beside the fact that what ZRA did is illegal.
ZRA is Zambia’s purse or wallet. Ask youself the question, When you have money in your wallet, do you donate to yourself? ZRA funds should be allocated not donated! Tax revenue is people’s money. If you really want to donate then ask the people not to pay Tax.
So ZRA is a company like any other except it is owned by govt. They are not giving away tax collections but money on their operational budget approved by govt and parliament.
That budget is what they use for advertising, fuel, cleaning, etc. Surely that budget can be varied and such monies applied to national causes like Covid or floods and the like.
Is that breaking the law?
Well done ZRA.
ZRA isn’t an Enterprise, so we’ll always question its decisions and Bwalya Chiti knows that. The welfare of ZRA employees is at its lowest, they’re not motivated. That’s why they connive with tax agents to use loopholes in tariff codes to still. Only top managers enjoy, even smuggling activities are facilitated by employees and cadres like bena Chanda Nyela. Sikalinda must shut up
Please do not get it wrong ZRA, you are just the chola boy of the government, hence you cannot donate what is not yours, simple.
It’s about time some of these legalities are taken to court to embarrass them like they did to the speaker.
Sean Tembo is a hero in this situation. All he said was let Parliament, better still the National Assembly write a bill to donate this money to the ministry of health. Then the president signs it to law. Nothing wrong with that ZRA. That way the people’s representatives, the MPs agree to this. I am in total disbelief at the ZRA’s disillusionment.
It’s not Just opposition dogs like tembo who have an issue, it is , as you will notice from above comments, diasporans who do not pay taxes here who are at forefront of yapping. The diasporans are not happy about anything done to save lives because they expect Zambia and Africa to lose more lives than Europe.. they have been indoctrinated by their imperial masters abroad to hate themselves. Zra well done and continue the hard work. No one cares what illegal immigrants have to say
Bwana Kaizer Zulu , please tone down. You can surely put your comments across in a respectable manner without calling other Citizens as DOGS. Please learn the art of persuasion and not acrimony.
Tipsy Sikalinda, the bars are officially closed. I hope it was a take away.
It is you and Zra who are petty, Sean Tembia is guuding you correctly before your Director General and Board are charged with abuse of authority of office.
Mr Sean Tembo is right in his views because ZRA is not different from government and the resources from government to fight Covid pandemic covers ZRA efforts. To begin to parate ZRA making a K200, 000 donation when its core responsibility is to collect revenue on behalf of government and government prioritises where needy calls and respond effectively. ZRA is playing to the public gallery so as to think funds are not misappropriated by it. Who has ascertained that K200,000 was actually used and on what which government has not done. Was it really K200,000 or that figure was K2 million. In Zambia even the commissioner of ZRA has been cited in corruption issues. ZRA can not divert from its core values to hoodwink the public. So much corruption goes on in ZRA boarder checks. ZRA should not…
KZ insulting well meaning citizens will not insulate you as public enemy of Zambia. You or impostor, Zambians will not forget that you have harassed, beaten, maimed, humiliated, kidnapped, fired guns and shot Zambians and dehumanise Zambians. Zambians deserve justice and time is coming to get it. Cleansing yourself on this site will not wash up, records, living witnesses exist and testimonies will be in your face
KZ must be a disgruntled immigrant from malawi. Never mind him, his time for reckonining will come.
Some people have no logic in them hence insults is all they can produce with little thinking involved as reflected in the level of their arguments. Even on is a hired gun thinking can still be applied.
ZRA is a public sector organisation run by professionals, at least that is wht it should be. Even if it’s attacked politically, its officers should never respond in a political way but just politely explain wht has happened and why it happened. It should never hit back by attacking individual politicians because that’s beyond its mandate.
These men and women who are appointed in these public organizations,are they not given manual books guiding their code of conduct and operation? Surely this is embarrassing to the appointing authorities.
The dysfunction continues. How can an organ of government tasked with collecting ITS revenue donate to IT!??? Is there any thinking REALLY going on? Soon the Pensions Authority will be donating to unpaid pensioners.
ZRA spokes person has explained that they have a budget line for CSR and have given some donations before to other institutions.
This covid 19 surely is a more deserving cause to receive donations from any entity that can do so regardless.,,..
The ZRA donation is going to serve the lives of Zambians including the relatives of those opposed to this donation.
Mr. Tempo is right. ZRA has no business donating that money. They are not an enterprise making money: they are just agents for collection of taxes. What’s with crude language by those who do not understand that ZRA is not an enterprise?