THE excess burden of taxes the government is imposing on Zambians is devastating, brutal and will reduce people’s lives to total misery, says George Mpombo.
The government has signed a Statutory Instrument which will now require Zambians to pay K833 to get permission to drill a borehole and the same amount again to register it once drilled. The total of the fees come are K1,666.66.
Commercial applicants will be required to pay K1,666 to drill a borehole.
And there’s currently the national health insurance Bill in parliament which the opposition have rejected that will see Zambians in both public and private sector paying some form of tax for health services.
But Mpombo, who is former defence minister, in an interview said it was heartless for the government to continue overburdening Zambians with taxes.
“The excess burden of taxation the government is imposing on Zambians is devastating, brutal, and will reduce people’s lives to total misery. Government’s decision to impose so many taxes on Zambians is tantamount to killing a fly with a sledge hammer,” Mpombo said.
“Zambians are currently clutching at the straws in order to keep their heads above water surface due to the harsh economic environment and therefore cannot afford this economic and police whiplash the government is unleashing in toxic doses. One area the government can look at in terms of revenue collection is to diversify the economy and prop the sagging manufacturing industry.”
He said the textile industry was comatose while government wsa standing with hands akimbo.
Mpombo said there was need for new finance minister Margaret Mwanakatwe to advise the government to rethink its kamikaze tax policies.
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