• Maintain current mine tax regime.
• Intensify tax collections in the sector.
• Mining firms do not provide accurate information over how much they earn from the minerals.
Small Scale Miners Association of Zambia has advised government to maintain the current mine tax regime.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Association President Kunda Chani said this is because most mining firms in the Country do not provide the correct information to government over how much they earn from the minerals, a situation that makes it difficult for government to benefit from the much needed revenue from the sector.
Mr Chani noted that the move has also resulted in failure by Zambians to get maximum benefits from the minerals being extracted and exported from the Country.
“We would like to advise government to maintain the particular taxes, because the problem that has been there in the metal industry is that there is a lot of inaccurate information given to government over how much the firms earn from the minerals, a situation that makes it difficult for government to benefit from the much needed revenue the sector,” he said.
Mr Kunda further appealed to government to intensify tax collections in the sector.
“The position of the association is that government should intensify tax collections in the mining sector in order to give comfort to the ordinary citizens in both formal and informal sectors,” Mr Chani noted.
Some players in the mining sector have been calling on government to consider revising the current mine tax regime citing a number of challenges that the sector has faced in the recent years.