The Finance Minister’s latest remarks will probably draw rebuke and ire more than ever. First off he says Zimbabweans have now embraced the 2% tax and he adds to that by saying that, (they Zimbabweans) are no longer complaining about this tax.
The 2% tax is not about Zimbabweans being punished, and it is dishonest to say that they do not want it. In fact, they have embraced it, and ordinarily what Zimbabweans have only complained about is that the prices of fertilizer and goods are high.
By what means is he determining that Zimbabweans have embraced this tax? Did the government conduct a survey or what? Maybe a survey is not ideal to explain his assertion. But I don’t think that being tolerant means that people have embraced it. People are just enduring this 2% tax. Normally and historically, people all over have just endured paying taxes and that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have embraced it. If anything, this tax has made it more costly for people and companies to do business, which is a good enough reason for people not to ‘willingly embrace’ the tax.
If the cost of doing business has increased, don’t people complain? It’s only that they don’t complain forever but the 2% tax which was introduced barely 2 months ago is relatively still a fresh wound that I barely think people are no longer complaining about yet.
As he was being grilled in the parliament, Professor Mthuli Ncube tried to appease other Member of Parliaments by saying that the ‘other revenue’ from the 2% tax will be used to pay for education, health and road infrastructure. He says the ‘over revenue’ because yesterday, Secretary of Finance said the bulk of the money will be used to rehabilitate water and sanitation infrastructure. In the House of Assembly, the Finance Minister said:
We have ring-fenced the 2% to make sure that the people of Zimbabwe benefit, such that out of the 2%, we will extract the $310 million to finance devolution. This means that we have taken money from the people to give it back to the people. The change will be used to fund education and health and closing potholes, as well as purchasing ambulances and buying school desks, and so people will feel the impact.
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13 comments
He is learning the language of politicians and has not disappointed, as a professor his pace of learning is as expected.
Dear Finance Minister. Point of correction: we had no choice because we complained and you never listened . You shoved the tax on the already burned populace in the name of widening the tax base but not known to the administration, the tax was and is a heavy tax. Every time I make a transfer I feel the pinch. It’s different from other salient consumption taxes like VAT and other levies, on this you are reminded that you are paying tax each time you make a transfer. I would be at peace if you are going to be transparent in accounting for the revenue and expenditures from this tax head. If you are going to prove your worth, show us the numbers you are raking in by month on month and how it is distributed. To side track I hear you also want to fund water and sanitation infrastructure in rural district councils, this would be a welcome and noblest development but let me warn you, we don’t want to hear the same stories as to what happened to ZINARA road levy and the CDF (constituent dev fund). Let the RDCs Involve the people, be social accountable and put the resources to good use. That way we would appreciate and at least say our 2% has developed our community and has helped improve the human condition!
Maybe he meant that people did not demostrate in the street! thats the only way he thinks how people reject these imposed taxes
Really?? Dear Finance Minister, you are clearly delusional!! We are worse off than ever and yet the government is raking in the profits. What water, what sanitation, what repairs to pot holes??? Where has the money gone? Into the same black hole as all the other “development levies” the people of Zimbabwe have paid over the years. This is purely and simply legalised theft! Oh, but it isn’t even legal………………….
Walker taxes ranger! nxaa!, how he is saying we embraced 2% nxaa. paying 2% tax for paying my child’s school fees!, its so painful. Please God save us from these Pharoahs of today!
Let our Politicians publish their salaries and perks, let them also list all their business interests, let them also made it available to be audited and published.
Let us all pay our dues, not just the people on the street.
Politicians who waste taxpayers monies, should be held accountable to repay it from their personal funds and be expelled from politics.
What can we say in zim, you get killed for protesting
,no rule of law, the rural teachers and doctors and everyone are crying because of the current situation but what’s happening, they are fetting arrested for protesting.
Newly graduated Zanu PF political economist Mthuli Ncube!!
screw zanu pf, their supporters , families and all them bastards forever !!!
he has that same stupid smile/smirk as Jon bond mangudya in all his photos, birds of a feather. BUT they cannot fool EVERYBODY ALL THE TIME, sorry for that !!
Your 2% Tax Mr Mthuli Ncube is bad news. You encouraged people to use plastic money and transfers, you quickly made made U turn, slapped on them on their faces. Capitalist will always be capitalist. You want to milk workers to death. What a shame !!!!!!. Stop corruption. We are sick and tired of your lies. With what is happening on the market, the best you could have done, is to resign. You have failed.
Zimbabwe Needs to do much more for the economy