Finance Minister has appealed to all taxpayers and the rest of the citizenry in the country to take interest, and study the sales tax bill.
Speaking at the Zambia Revenue Authority ZRA Silver Jubilee celebrations to mark 25 years of ZRA existence, Margaret Mwanakatwe says it is only when taxpayers understand the sales tax bill that they will be able to submit suggestions that will ensure that sales tax bill works for the betterment of the country’s revenue administration.
Ms Mwanakatwe says the proposed date of commencement of Sales Tax is 1st July 2019.
And the Minister says efficient tax revenue administration plays a critical role in shaping the destiny of the country.
She says without efficient revenue administration, the countries dignity and sovereignty in mobilising domestic resources for national development would be compromised.
Ms Mwanakatwe notes that sacrifice of loyal tax payers has helped to build the country from strength to strength.
She says through tax contributions by citizens, government has been able to oversee the successful implementation of different reforms leading to substantial investments in social-economic sectors, among others.
“This is consistent with my pronouncement in the 2019 National Budget Address in which I stated that domestic resource mobilization is an important driver of our development agenda” She said.
“Let me reaffirm that while the payment of taxes may not always be a cheerful event, taxes touch many people’s lives beyond what might be contemplated at individual or household level”.
She says since the establishment of ZRA, government has continued to reform tax administration system by looking at what can work best for the country.
And Zambia Revenue Authority Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda says it is only through efficient domestic resource mobilization that the country can achieve sustainable economic independence and development.
Mr Chand adds that ZRA is determined to contribute towards the attainment of the seventh national development plan and the vision 2030 by increasing contributions to the Gross Domestic Product -DGP through focusing on protecting the tax base.