By CHILA
NAMAIKO –
THE newly opened Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) station in Choma, last year collected K9.4 million from taxes, representing a 2.63 per cent increase over the 2014 performance.
From the amount, domestic tax collections were K4.8 million while custom and excise was K4.6 million.
In the 2015 fiscal year, ZRA collected a total of K29.9 billion against revised target of K29.2 billion, thereby, exceeding the target by K760.9 million.
ZRA Commissioner General Berlin Msiska was impressed with the performance of Choma station which made remarkable progress in collection of taxes.
Among other taxpayer services offered are, taxpayer registrations, issuance of tax clearance certificates including individual, company and presumptive tax certificates, and taxpayer education.
Mr Msiska said, in 2015, the station recorded among other strides, 488 tax clearance certificate business, 320 electronic registrations, 144 change of ownership, and 174 tax clearance certificates presumptive.
“The benefits of establishing Choma station can be seen from the increase in revenue collection and enhanced voluntary compliance as seen by the walk-in statistics, “he said.
Mr Msiska was speaking when Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda commissioned the K2.91 million houses for ZRA staff in Choma at the weekend.
He said taxpayers had stopped complaining about the hustle of long distance trips to meet tax obligations and seek consultations on tax.
The housing project was in line with ZRA’s strategic objective of improving efficiency and productivity of the workforce through accommodation.
He said a motivated workforce would work hard to collect revenue thereby, meeting the institution’s strategic objective of optimising revenue and contributing to national development.
Mr Chikwanda said Government’s ambitious development agenda, whose primary objective was transformation of Zambia required huge resources.
He noted that ZRA was a key mechanism as an instrument of resource mobilisation through tax collection.