The Zambia Revenue Authority has reiterated that it operates independently, without political interference or any form of bias at any level.

In a brief statement released on Sunday by the ZRA Communications team, the authority said all taxpayers should comply with the tax laws.

“The ZRA wishes to assure the public that it operates independently, without political interference or any form of bias at any level,” it said.

It added, “Therefore, all taxpayers should comply with the Tax Laws and pay their taxes on time to avoid penalties, interest, enforcement action and prosecution.”

The Authority on Friday pounced on the Post Newspapers and issued a warrant of distress seeking to collect around K 16,000 in unpaid taxes.

ZRA officers, accompanied by armed police officers, arrived at the Lusaka offices of Post Newspapers along Bwinjimfumu around 08 Hours to serve a warrant demanding immediate payment of alleged late payment penalties and interest in a tax case against the company that arose in September 2014, when a similar raid was conducted.

The ZRA also delivered a demand notice for payment of allegedly unpaid VAT payments and unpaid payroll taxes.

The move was heavily criticised by the Post Newspaper who described it as an attempt to close down the newspaper by President Edgar Lungu’s administration.

Post General Manager for Finance Rowena Zulu said in the statement that the ZRA was “out to fix us” and claimed that authorities tipped off other media about the raid in advance saying “There is no doubt politics is at play in this matter.”

The development was also condemned by the International Press Institute who expressed concern over the raid saying “We are extremely concerned by the ZRA’s action, particularly coming on the heels of incidents in recent months that have ratcheted up pressure against The Post.

IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis said, “Given the nature of the claims and the amounts sought, the case against The Post needs to be transparent and to be given time to work its way through the legal process.

Mr Ellis said a failure to afford both would have a chilling effect on media freedom in Zambia.
‘The raid comes at a time of increasing pressure directed towards The Post amid Zambia’s polarised political climate. Last month, a bullet penetrated the paper’s newsroom, but fortunately did not injure anyone.’

In July, criminal charges were brought against Post Editor-in-Chief Fred M’membe for allegedly disclosing classified information in an investigative piece the Post published about corruption in the ruling PF party.

State House has refuted allegations that it instructed the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to close down the Post Newspaper on Friday last week.

The President’s Special Aide for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda has said that the allegations are preposterous and outrageous in the extreme.

Mr. Chanda said that ZRA has however informed State House that its action to raid the newspaper followed a court order authorizing it to collect colossal outstanding taxes due to the treasury.

Mr Chanda said that President Lungu was also informed by Deputy Finance Minister Christopher Mvunga that the ZRA’s raid at the newspaper company was a routine operation as enshrined in the ZRA mandate to collect taxes for the treasury.

Mr. Chanda said that this meant that regardless of whether who was owing taxes was an individual or Newspaper Company there was no exception.

Mr Chanda stated that President Lungu therefore finds it unreasonable that a debt between the Post Newspaper and ZRA has been misrepresented as an act of punishment from him.

A group of people came to see president Lungu proposing that he dismisses Finance Minister Alexander Chanda or Information Minister Chishimba Kambwili and put Miles Sampa.

Mr. Chanda said that the President is encouraging the Post newspaper to emulate other media houses that pay taxes whenever the ZRA tendered a huge tax bill against them with without dragging innocent people into dirt.

Mr. Chanda said that the Zambia Daily Mail, Times of Zambia and Daily Nation are some of the media houses that negotiate with the ZRA and pay their debt quietly.

He was speaking to journalists this afternoon at statehouse.

And Mr. Chanda disclosed that President Lungu has welcomed Atlas Mara’s acquisition of Finance Bank Zambia Limited.

He said that the President is delighted that Atlas Mara has continued to show confidence in Zambia’s banking sector.

Mr. Chanda has also disclosed that that a group of people came to see president Lungu proposing that he dismisses Finance Minister Alexander Chanda or Information Minister Chishimba Kambwili and put Miles Sampa.

Why didn’t the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) complain that government was behind the raid of their offices not long ago over the same? Just because it is Post then government should be blamed?

Meanwhile Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili has charged that the Post newspaper should desist from dragging the Patriotic Front (PF) into its financial indebtedness because the ruling party does not interfere with the operations of the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).

Reacting to the newspaper’s assertions that ZRA’s move to pounce on the organisation for failure to remit taxes was politically motivated, Mr. Kambwili advised the newspaper to pay what it owed ZRA and stop blaming government over its shortcomings.

He said there was no aota of truth in the papers allegations as ZRA was mandated to collect revenue on behalf of Government and to deal with defaulters in accordance with the law.

Mr Kambwili said self-pity would not save the owners of the paper because they would not receive special treatment for failing to meet their obligations.

“Let them just pay what they owe ZRA and stop accusing Government of having a hand in their problems because no institution will be given any special treatment simply because of who they are. Ubufi ba Post nabuchila mo and they know that they are lying as usual.

“Why do they want to bring government into their problems which they created for themselves for failing to meet their obligation? We don’t direct ZRA to carry out their duties because that institution has professionals who know what they are doing,” Mr. Kambwili said.

He explained that the paper should desist from making unnecessary excuses and pay what they owed.
Mr Kambwili wondered why the Post was expecting to be treated with kid gloves when it was not the first institution that was pounced on by ZRA for defaulting.

“How special are they? Why didn’t the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) complain that government was behind the raid of their offices not long ago over the same? Just because it is Post then government should be blamed? Let them be serious and stop being petty. Let them just pay the money they are owing to ZRA and stop complaining about government interference. How do they expect to be left Scot-free when they are not paying? Let them stop lying and face the reality because their lies won’t help them,” he said.

Government has warned civil servants on the Copperbelt province against shunning significant traditional ceremonies.

Chief government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili says traditional ceremonies deserve unlimited support by all well-meaning civil servants across the country.

Mr Kambwili, who is also information and broadcasting services minister , implored Copperbelt province permanent secretary Howard Sikwela to ensure that traditional ceremonies are supported by all civil servants without fail.

“ I want to sound a warning to the Copperbelt province permanent secretary that when ceremonies are held he should attend and am disappointed to find a lot of mayors and district commissioners rushing for traditional ceremonies outside the Copperbelt just to make allowances but when it comes to their own they don’t want to attend” he said.

He was speaking during this year’s edition of the Nsengele Kununka traditional ceremony held in Machiya Chiefdom of Mpongwe district, yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mr Kambwili has assured residents of the area that the Mpongwe Machiya road would soon become a reality.

He disclosed that all tender procedures regarding the tarring of the Mpongwe Machiya road had been completed and that a contractor for the road project would soon be identified.

He further assured that the patriotic front under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu will not relent in its efforts to bring sustainable development to Mpongwe District.

NDOLA district Patriotic Front (PF) chairperson George Chisulo has warned MMD national youth secretary Bowman Lusambo to desist from using the PF party structures and materials to campaign in Kabushi constituency.

Mr Chisulo told a media briefing in Ndola yesterday that Mr Lusambo was telling people in the area that he had been sent by President Edgar Lungu to campaign as an aspiring Member of Parliament for Kabushi constituency.

He said that the PF officials have investigated the matter and were since warning him to desist from the acts as such would land him in problems.

“Mr Lusambo has been going round using some of our members and materials to campaign, he is telling the residents in the area that President Lungu had sent him to campaign. That is not true, no one has sent him to campaign in the PF,” he said.

But Lusambo has said the people of Kabushi Constituency will decide on which party he will stand as area Member of Parliament.

Speaking to the Times of Zambia from Kabushi yesterday, Mr Lusambo reiterated that he was an MMD member who wanted to contest the Kabushi Constituency parliamentary election but that the people had the final say on which party he would contest the seat.

“The people of Kabushi’s decision is the decision which I will follow because they own me, I don’t own them.

“Am interacting with the people of Kabushi and the relationship which I have with the people of Kabushi is very strong, so if they decide and we know that their decision is not taking us anywhere, we will go back to the drawing table and make a wise decision together,” he said.

Mr Lusambo charged that some people were peddling falsehoods about him because they were scared of his political vision and the warm relationship he had with people of Kabushi Constituency.

Mr Chisulo said that if Mr Lusambo wanted to stand as a Member of Parliament in the constituency he should do so in his own party and not using PF to entice the people.

He said that he had told people in the area that he would embark on the sewer line project in the area and would also do a lot of other developmental projects.

Mr Chisulo said Mr Lusambo did not belong to PF adding that he should stop masquerading and telling people that he was sent by the president to embark on the campaigns.

He said Mr Lusambo had no link to the PF and should stop pretending to be one as PF did not allow people with dual membership.

Mr Chisulo said that people in the party had given the current Member of Parliament chance to work until the time that the Parliament would be dissolved to pave way for campaigns.

He has also warned members of the PF who were following Mr Lusambo that the party officials would not hesitate to take actions against those, as they were betraying the party.