Action-Aid Zambia, an organization that advocates for equal tax justice has implored Government and parliament to introduce stringent measures that would ensure effective collection of adequate tax revenue for national development.
Action-Aid Zambia Country Director Nalucha Ziba stressed that local and foreign companies must be made to pay taxes as long as they are operating in Zambia.
Ms. Ziba urged President Lungu to ensure that government introduces measures that enables the collection of more tax revenues so that they can be ploughed into the social sectors of the economy.
In a statement issued to media in Lusaka yesterday, Ms. Ziba proposed that the loan which the Zambian government intends to procure should be channelled to key areas of the economy such as agriculture, education, and creation of new employment opportunities especially for the youths.
“It is imperative that with or without a new IMF loan, government charts a new path that will ensure that both the economy recovers and benefits are shared among the people,” she said.
Ms. Ziba called for massive investment in entrepreneurship skills in an effort to encourage effective participation of local enterprises in order to boost economic activities.
She noted that in the inaugural speech, President Lungu emphasized the need to promote local investment but she regretted that over the years, very little has been done to improve the status of the local Zambian entrepreneur especially among the youths .
Ms Ziba further urged Government to ensure that spending and revenues measures are focused on supporting an inclusive and diversified economic.
She called on government to focus and broaden the Agriculture sector beyond the Farmer Input Support Programme and also invest in crop diversification and marketing of crops by Food Reserve Agency beyond Maize.
On women empowerment, Ms. Ziba further called for women’s equal opportunities and full and effective participation in leadership and all levels of decision-making.
She called upon government to undertake reforms that will give women equal rights to economic resources as well as access to ownership and control over land, property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources in order to bridge the gaps between their male counterparts.
“Action Aid therefore calls for adoption and strengthening of sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girl at all levels. These policies should include fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality,” she said.
Newly appointed Finance Minister Felix Mutati is next month expected to present the national budget to the National Assembly.
President Lungu is scheduled to officially open parliament on September 30, 2016.
His Excellency is starting with a clean sheet all of his own on which he can stamp his authority to direct how the economy will be rejuvenated. I am sure a lot of the advice here will be acted on. I think entrepreneurial startups are the way forward for those not in employment especially the youths. Self employment for all ages should be encouraged; gone are the days when you sat around waiting for work to be given to you. Put youths on Business programmes offering skills and loans.
Start your own businesses, if I can anybody can!!
This is a no brainer. There are no more Eurobonds to steal. And the $1.2bn from the IMF will be audited to death. Instead PF will unleash ZRA to collect effeminate where there is nothing. Expect massive company closures and unemployment as PF squeezes Zambians for anything for them to continue stealing.
Tax evasion starts with LUNGU himself. He made K23Million in 1year and paid Naught/Aziko/Hakuna/Takuli/Takwe/Zero Tax to ZRA.
Thats why he doesnt have the morals to collect fair tax from copper mining companies. Copper goes out but the money doesnt come back to Zambia.
@Marie Ann, to be fair His Excellency DID try to collect more taxes from the Mines by imposing new mining taxes and refusing to hand back monies accrued. It was UPND and other Opposition that attacked the gov’t asking that they did not introduce that tax.
We all know it to be true and the loudest critics at the time were UPND cadres and all. Where were you? It was only last year. Even the Archives in this blog have evidence of the attempt.
there is no substance in what she has said its like saying .. when there is good rainfall farmers in zambia should make sure they produce alot.
Ms. Ziba urged President Lungu to ensure that government introduces measures that enables the collection of more tax revenues so that they can be ploughed into the social sectors of the economy.
Start colleting get K54 million from the Post to begin with.