The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has appealed to citizens in the country to faithfully pay taxes if they were to enjoy government’s improved service delivery.
ZRA Director of operations in Northern Province, Charles Shapi, said this when he addressed over 60 Mpulungu businessmen during a tax payers’ seminar held at the civic center on Friday.
Mr. Shapi said it was unfair for people, who neglected to pay tax, to cry for better services from public institutions because it is the same money from the taxes that government utilizes to provide goods and services.
He said ZRA has this year launched the tax payers’ week whose theme is ‘Develop Zambia, Pay Your Taxes’, adding that this initiative will be held at the beginning of every business year, which starts on 1st April, for the authority.
Mr. Shapi explained that the main essence of this initiative is to appreciate the support taxpayers render to the Authority in its duty to collect money on behalf of government.
“Every citizen has a national duty therefore, to give what is due to government if we are to see an emergence of a prosperous Zambia, free of the poverty that has afflicted many our dear brothers and sisters for decades,’’ he said.
He revealed that this year, ZRA has a challenge of raising 70 per cent of the national budget from domestic sources, saying it was incumbent upon every citizen to pay tax to support the budget.
Mr. Shapi warned the business people that it was a criminal offence to evade tax and urged them to pay freely to avoid falling into conflict with ZRA officers.
“As long as you are in business, you can’t avoid taxes, there is a saying that ‘death and taxes are the only two things in life that humans cannot avoid’. Besides, we have several ways of recovering monies from those defaulting or evading tax, so just pay.’’ Mr. Shapi told the gathering.
He explained that amount collected from a citizen will go a long way in enhancing service provision by government, adding that ZRA’s interest is not to be a liability to people but to help facilitate the smooth running of businesses in the country.
And speaking earlier, Mpulungu District Commissioner, Willie Simfukwe, said the initiative which ZRA has introduced will create a mutual understanding between tax payers and officers.
Mr. Simfukwe saying this will in the long run contribute to increased government revenue.
He added that it is this money collected by ZRA which will go towards the recruitment of civil servants like teachers, nurses and Doctors, policemen and others, who will eventually provide adequate and efficient services which the Zambian people are hungry for.
Simfukwe said after the seminar, Mpulungu businessmen must no longer fear ZRA officers but consider each other as partners in national development.
“Even in Biblical times, tax collectors were feared and hated. Jesus for one was criticized for dinning with them but he came out clearly that people must ‘Give to Caesar, what belongs to Caesar’. So ZRA officers are there to do a job for us and must not be feared and hated,” he stated.
ZANIS/EK/KSH/ENDS
Does anyone know how long the sentence for evading tax in Zambia is? Just curious because in Germany the minimum is 10 years.
correction: minimum 5 yrs and maximum 10 yrs in Germany.
How will people be encouraged to pay taxes with wastages like the Indaba, cadres on govt trips, bloted up cabinets…..let the govt deliver with what they have been given and then more will come. He who is faithful on little will be faithful on more…..
ZRA is too harsh on small companies. The sentences is company closure.Why should the penalt be closure of companies instead of making them pay
how do people pay tax when the big giants like ZA fail to pay the same tax. Get ZA to pay its tax then we will pay our tax.
Just a few days ago there was a report that the revenue had increased from 1.4 Billion to about 14 Billion Kwacha. This to me shows that citizens are paying their dues.
I only have a problem with the above information where a cry for improved public services is connected to the revenue generated. It does not matter how much revenue is generated, most public sectors will still remain poor due to wrong policies.
Please combine good policies with the revenue generated if the people are to see progress.
I have known ZRA to be Anti-zambian when it comes to squeezing their taxes.ZRA has a phobia for prosperous Zambians and they will do anything in their power to bring him/her down and yet they will always take a begging stance on Foreigners who enjoy massive rebates.By the way,ZRA should renovate their building and an eye-sore.
#7 It should read”Its an eye-sore”
Mr shapi, yeah you are right?
What a rubb!sh outcry from a corrupt set of tax collectors. How can Zambians even be proud to pay tax when all you ever use it for is self-enrichment? You even have the guts to talk about improved service delivery when all we are seeing is a downward spiral with no promising outlook. People need to see results ZRA. Where do the billlions of Kwacha go really? Sometimes you people should think before you open your traps in public.
and what’s with the out of topic cr@p about Caesar and biblical times in your statement Mr. Thieving Tax Collector?
Alright though I read something of this nature a few days ago on LT.
Unemployment is high…people have limited sources of income. Companies owned by Zambians are struggling yet foreign companies are enjoying some exemptions. Fiscal spending is unregulated…the list goes on!! The point is without jobs, no taxes will be paid and no services will flourish. Zambian companies needs to be cut some slack to help them sustain their businesses as these are the companies that will stay with us in both good and bad times!!!
Maestro Hhehhehhehhe!! How are you?!!
chemisches schwinden
sorry,I forgot to greet all you bloggers,good evening,do they allow chatting on this blog?
I pay my gardner to clean up my garden,i pay my Lawyer to fight for my rights,I pay my Doctor to check out my teeth,i even pay my bodyguard to protect my body….But what have you done for me lately Mr.Taxman?
13, JD, thanks and good evening to you too. Belinda, good evening. On here you can write what you like but please mae sure you avoid using insults so that we can move together nicely and LT can let you use your freedom to participate freely nicely. have a blessed day.
#4, my bro, you can encore that. More of it ZRA is too harsh on individual travellers. They will milk you out of your pocket for yor unaccompanied goods that are supposed to travel with you.. they say you are importing…………………………..thats day light robbery….
mubwezeko tax thats why siti lipila vi tax…
Nafi tax fine ukudula,thats y tabale lipila abantu,awe mwe!
We pay our taxes gnashing our teeth here because we never get to see how the money is properly used.Thing is I pay my PAYE and the others(ie turn over) just like the rest,but govt machinery converts these monies into sitting allowances and all soughts of abominable ventures which we are incapable of controling.So yes death and taxes can not be avoided but taxes are controlable and can be properly determined
Iam trying to wisper ka helo to MEASTRO and JAMACO and the rest of the friends.I hope no one over hears