Govt. to ‘punish’ tax evaders

Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Miles Sampa has disclosed that government has developed a plan aimed at compelling all traders and companies in the country to pay tax.

Mr. Sampa said the plan will enable government to punish traders that evade tax.

He said the money that would be collected through tax will be channeled to various development projects that will benefit all Zambians.

He said government was deeply concerned with the escalating levels of traders avoiding to pay tax.

Mr. Sampa added that government has already formulated a policy aimed at ensuring that all profits being generated by traders trickle down to ordinary Zambians.

The Deputy Minister was speaking in Lusaka today at a breakfast meeting organised by the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) whose theme was “Commerce, Trade and Industry issues for 2013”.

And Mr. Sampa has disclosed that Buseko market in Lusaka’s Matero township has the capacity to generate tax revenue for the country of equivalent to a total of twenty companies once it is fully utilized.

Mr. Sampa, who is also Matero Member of Parliament, said Buseko market has been a haven of both local and foreign traders for a long time.

He said there was lack of serious revenue collection at the market.