THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is planning to introduce fiscalised machines on public transport vehicles like kombis and taxis to ensure operators do not evade taxes.
VENERANDA LANGA
Zimra Commissioner-General Gershon Pasi told Parliament on Monday that a pilot project would be launched soon to test the effectiveness of the system following observations that the presumptive tax which used to be charged on public transport operators was not effective.
Pasi had been summoned by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Finance and Economic Development chaired by Mutoko South MP David Chapfika (Zanu PF) to speak on challenges experienced by Zimra in revenue collection at border posts as well as value added tax.
Zimra is under pressure to mobilise revenue amid reports that government coffers were running dry. Government relies on Zimra collections to pay its 280 000 workers.
“We said we needed fiscalised machines even in kombis such that the moment one starts driving it records to Zimra the mileage travelled and enforces charges per kilometre. We are going to start with five taxis which will be run as a pilot project so that when we roll it out people will know what we are talking about,” Pasi said.
He told the committee that the other revenue collection measures he would employ were to ensure that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as informal traders also contributed to the fiscus.
“We do not believe that we should be chasing people from the streets. We are saying let us provide infrastructure for them so that they register and then we can become harsh on those who remain outside the formal business sector.”
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Pasi said the idea had been well received by Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development minister Sithembiso Nyoni and Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo.
