ActionAid Executive Director Pamela Chisanga says it is ludicrous that the Zambian Government has moved to tax Non-Governmental Organisations whilst offering hefty tax breaks to multinational companies operating in Zambia.
Ms Chisanga was commenting on government’s decision to issue statutory instrument 103 suspending tax exemption facility for NGOs.
In an interview, Ms Chisanga said Zambia is losing huge financial resources through tax avoidance and evasion by multinational companies.
She said it is absurd that the government can now focus on taxing NGOs when it is reluctant to move in and address tax avoidance concerns in most of these multinational firms.
“As Action Aid, we have constantly pointed this government to areas we feel need to be addressed with regard to multinational firms avoiding or in some cases evading to pay the correct amount of taxes and this government has not paid any attention to those concerns,” Ms Chisanga lamented.
She added, “We therefore find it ludicrous that they want to tax NGOs working to help the poor whilst leaving out the multinationals.”
She said Government will infact not raise adequate revenue by removing the tax exemption facility to NGOs to import equipment such as vehicles.
“Government should even come out and tell us how many NGOs even enjoyed that facility. What is true is that most NGOs did not qualify. So how much are they even going to raise through that SI? The truth is that they will not even collect that much revenue because NGOs do not even use that facility that much.”
Ms Chisanga said government should focus on undertaking a comprehensive review of the country’s tax regime if it genuinely wants to increase its tax revenue.
“They should examine some of these tax breaks or incentives they offer to these multinationals before targeting innocent NGOs,” she said.
Wise information. You are such a beautiful Zambian Woman, I would love to meet you for business talks. Happy new year 2014
Stick to the issue at hand and not the woman. Anyway she looks good. I can`t blame you bashimfumu.
Well said Pamela, I was just wondering why the gvt has taken this move. NGOs have contributed massively in eradicating poverty and shaping people’s morals in this country at no cost to the gvt. Its like Chikwanda doesn’t know that churches and NGOs play a very important role in the development of our country. Go to USA and find out how much incentives churches and NGOs receive from the gvt. You are now becoming a useless gvt. I am PF but Iam now tired defending your foolish decisions. Atasee
hahahahaha……… talking about women, watchdog has exposed sampa miles’ chain of women he runs with. is the wife aware of these concubines? yes pamela looks beautiful but why is she not married? she must be ‘generous’
The biggest culprits are the mining companies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFgurguhLsA
hmmm umu ni laya chabe mdala. kunwa soup yonse!!!
lekeni ifwe tu n.y.e.n.g.e
That picture right there is part of the topic, thats why its in the story!!
Pamela Chisanga (ms) thats a serious bemba `katundu`.. where are tonga bulls??… bemba girls love mabisi
Beautiful ones are not yet born.
Let the Govt peruse Mopani issue and Zambia Sugar Plc.
Sata & Chik(w)anda think Multi-nationals are NGO’s, forgive them, amano yaku pyanga yali shupa!!!
Pamela….you are a hypocrite. You enjoy driving tax free vehicles which you later convert to private use after five year and other amenities and then shout for multinationals to be taxed! The Trans National Corporations (TNCs) are the very reason for the surge in Zambia’s economic turn round be they Lafarge, Zambia Breweries, Zambia Sugar, Mopan, KCM, BBZ, Standard Chartered etc. Where will the people employed by these TNCs go to if they do scale operations. Why cant ActionAid take their advocacy to strong economies like RSA, Nigeria or even Kenya. What is your contribution as an NGO other than spreading malice?! Ba Chikwanda, tax them just as you tax the TNCs and where there are loopholes in taxes, please seal them.
Haha,what did ya expect from these illeducated PF villlagers in charge who think backwards? The same fo.ols also borrow before deciding on exact use of funds.
She always know when to comment with facts such a boss lady for days!
I can’t see what she has exactly said, all she has said is to defend her NGO.For sure you guys make a lot of money just to benefit yourselves while the intended people are languishing in advert poverty. More especially those NGOS blindly following the issue of enriching others in developed countries in the name of this “SCAM….FRAUD HIV”..these are proper muderers,you have finished killing innocent people with your poisons you call ARVS…Shame.
You so right, pf doesn’t know how to stop their boat sinking lol
Oh hold up,so we have still have beaultiful smart women in Zambia!I would love to meet you…Not dir bussines purposes like the above dweeb said,but for marriage!
Coming to the issue at hand,in as mich as I appreciate your concerns,I also. urge you to pay them taxes just because multinational companies are eluding tax does not mean that you should follow suit.We also know how you guys make a lot of money for yourselves and your families all in the name of helping the poor.Next fool,please!
Just a thought. Does it mean when one aint doing the right thing you also follow suit. NGO should prove that they mean good for the country even in paying tax instead of invading it when buying personal items in the name of NGO. We Know some of you who have approached us to bring things tax free using your twenekani. ifitu ku balancer. meanwhile Pamela ali chi gelo. pesa palya wikala???
NGOs should also be accountable to the Zambian people whom they use to solicit financial support.
Taxation should not be the way to make them accountable but compulsory submission of returns to government as is the case in developed countries. Only fake NGOs would resist that.
Thanks Pamela for providing this feedback. Our govt should have done some basi0 research and analysis before creating such legislation. Zambia needs a transformative agenda that is inclusive and accountable. PF has failed to convene inclusive national and provincial forums for Zambia’s development. Our country is too wealth but requires Visionary leadership and not slogans. If only we could use such a platform to foster a transformative agenda, to provide options and solutions and depart from endless insults – Zambia would be great. May we emulate Pamela in 2014 by providing constructive issues and options
Coca Cola fanta. Women who bleach their skin are just unattractive including characterwise.
No more sacred cows, TAX the NGO’s. Ordinally citizens are failing to buy good cars because of taxes, now look at the kind of cars these so called NGO’s are buying they don’t even match thier status quo!!!
It would have been better if some Gov departments were taxed too.
She is spot on
The problem is no one is trusted. when incetives are given the same people abuse them, esepcially pa zed
# London Mweene if such happens why not address those individual NGO’s?Why not come up with measures to control the sbuse of the system by introducing tax returns.It is working well in other countries so why can’t we try it?
What amazes me is the level of ignorance by bloggers such as #7 & #10.” Ms Chisanga said Zambia is losing huge financial resources through tax avoidance and evasion by multinational companies.”These are the issues we should be adressing not targeting hard working NGO’s who survive on donations.If you don’t understand waht are the real issues don’t comment please!
Who is holding our man’s balls such he is making cicumspect critical decisions?
All those who are pushing for constitution are enemies of PF.
SATA is bring back UNIP/KAUNDA era.
He is a dictator.
i don’t know whats wrong with some of you, but objectivity, creativity and common sense is something that has eluded you for long! you spend a lot of time arguing about useless, nonsense issues at the expense of developing yourselves and hence the nation. if this is the objective of freedom of expression, then we have lamentably failed! whats wrong with us? is it the schools, or the background? we have lived so much and produced so little! when are we going to change our mindset for the better?
Kelvin what are you trying to say?I can hardly get your point .
Hey Pam, mmm mmm YOU’RE GOOD LOOKING! Now that I got that out of my system let me proceed.
Pam have you ever heard of “Salami Politics”. Well its one where rights are stripped from the citizenry one thin slice at a time. Before you know it, we’ll have no rights at all. That’s what your uncle Mike and team are doing.
I loved the programme on how the republic of Zambia had turned a Swiss town into one that is composed 100% of millionaires from Zambian copper. I think more evidence gathering and expose is needed on this.
Don’t get side tracked you pretty thing!
Damn this woman is good looking, bet she has a rough Bemba attitude to go with it too. mmmm mmmm mmmm!!!
@REDSQUARE , Tax avoidance is a crime and punishable , its good that Pamela has been speaking out on Barclays , Zambia Sugar etc. BUT we have some NGOs that are not transparent , and some people have found these NGOs to be conduits of enriching themselves by avoiding paying taxes , that’s why we need to commend government on broadening the tax base by taxing the NGOs. We request that ZRA also taxes owners of shops in compounds/residential areas and also landlords on rentals , including also marketeers (even a K1 per day will do) . Government should also press for the re-introduction of windfall tax , so that when mining Companies have supper profits , they can share with the Zambian people. In short , tax is a must for everybody, especially the rich.
Ngos supplement government efforts especially in alleviating poverty. How can grz tax such entities? I can assure you that most of them will pull out or reduce their suppprt thereby resulting in job losses and more suffering for the poor. What a shame!
There NGOs that work in Health sector, are they affected coz our Hospitals and Clinics have the equipments all bought by Donors even some ve transport from Donors. If they will be asked to pay tax again then we shaall go 10yrs backwards coz they will stop!
No nation can every develop when tax evation is the order of the day all nations develop with taxes if great industries avoid tax then development is a pipe dream
Hmmm… hardcore womanists, or is it girlists on the blog this year. Anyway, pretty Pam is right. Gov’t better look into the statutory instrument again. Even with NGOsthough they are all non-profit making, there are those that are financially better placed than others . There is need to sort them out and tax them accordingly.
Bane, when will we ever get over our male chauvinism pa Zed? oftentimes whenever our sisters comment on anything publicly or their photos are shown, some male imbecile blogger will comment on how beautiful/ugly is or marital status of that female. Bulwelenshi mukwete kanshi, are your small brains so small they always have to wander and cannot stick to issues? Chimo nama tribal remarks some bloggers often post, they are really irrelevant and uncalled for, we should just stick to issues at hand toonse we belong to this beautiful God-given 750,000 square kilometre-piece of land called Zambia!!! Let us pull and push together in one direction.
ni ma jealous chabe naimwe, there is nothing wrong with appreciating someone’s beauty
Just what would happen if NGOs withdrew their support and services for a year in order to rethink this whole business?
The poor and vulnerable will suffer the most since most of these access funds by way of addressing poverty.
boi the woman is talking sense most multinationals are evading tax……….
@ Petros – we get her message loud and clear. The only problem is that…. damn the chick is fine!!!!! confuses a man.
Just check the guzza dude, you can’t say that she ain’t fine mwana, just check. OK Check again.
We get it, DO NOT TAX NGOs. No don’t tax them. Tax the mining houses that have gotten away with blue murder. The ZRA don’t even know how to compute the tax on mining houses. ZRA relies on the mining houses to TELL them (ZRA) how much they want to pay in tax.
Go ask ZRA how many qualified tax accountants specialising in extractive industries they have. Zero, Zilch, Zip-wad, dry hump, nada, none, nil, Nula…
OK go back dude and check the chick out again. Damn, she’s fine!!! 😉
NGOCC, stand up, march on Parliament and State house.
If people like us simpletons get up we will be jailed and rot like trash. If you guys are arrested, the international community and all you Ambassadorial friends that you meet with at the Golf clubs, Squash clubs, Tennis Clubs, Siavonga holidays, international conferences will stand up for you and even get you free legal services.
You’ll spend one night in the chooks.
For us (fwe ndoti ifwe) we will get nothing, no visit, no lawyer, no mention, no food, no water. We’ll just rot like the stinking filth in your kitchen bins. Grillo, on your phone you have the number to at least 5 Ambassadors, I don’t even have my headman’s number. Your bank balance is more than I earned the whole year. Your house has more floor space than…
For sure this PF is taking us backwards! Now INDECO is coming back… no new ideas!
Your bank balance is more than I earned the whole year. Your house has more floor space than my whole clan put together. You spend more on your vet bills than I do on my whole family.
And you want me to march in front!
Voetsek chi woman.
She has a point about tax avoidance by multinational corporations. As an example the likes of Google and Apple have been found wanting in other countries they operate on this score, although they use loopholes in the laws of the countries they operate in. In Zambia this tax avoidance is actually necessitated and aided by the government themselves through tax incentives and tax breaks, from way back during the MMD’s privatisation crusade.
However, while there are some well-meaning NGOs, there are some unscrupulous ones who take advantage of these lax tax laws and just enrich the individuals working for these organisations.
Bu I guess it’s the government that tend to lose, because the original countries where this money is sourced can just choose to shut the door and stop the aid and the government will have an even larger burden. The good ones can’t be punished due to the bad deeds of the bad NGOs.. I reckon tthey just need to demand accountability as some have pointed above – most of them present fake financial reporting to their donors.
As for the beauty being touted every Jim in the house, I don’t usually comment on personalities, but I was gonna say that I see Jaribu all over her face as the fingers look a little darker than her face; probably a little over-weight too, LOL.
Clearly this is punishment for speaking against the CNP government; am certain the Catholics who run a number of NGOs supporting orphans, the poor and sick will now see clearly why other Zambians did not want this old man in power!
Compare Chile & Zambia by googling images of Santiago and see what we could have done with our copper money!!! That’s how Lusaka & the other Zambian towns should be!! Poor Govt policies make a huge difference in our well-being
Expand the tax base and look at the Financial transaction taxes on securities and other asset classes being bought and sold by multinational banks and entities without necessarily affecting the cost of capital here
E,g How much in taxes did Vodacom and escom pay in the acquisition/transaction of iconet and lunsemfwa hydro respectively.
How much did we gain in taxes on the USD loans sold within the local economy being in mind the tax deductibility of such income and by who
Avoiding tax grants a little as an incentive for construction by MOF and carefully netting the taxes without affecting the regime and allowing the companies allowed to recover once operational will…
Pamela Chisanga, you re a beauty!
looks most kids blogging ve never seen a beautiful woman before,how do you admire the coca cola/fanta above to a point where you ve a hard on and cum on your own.
its unfortunate that NGOs have no more tax concessions as from 2014, why cant you team up and negotiate for a rebate in the forth coming financial year?to those who said she does Jaribu i beg to differ with you ,she is just a beauty to marvel.
‘poor men want to ride on rich women’-remember the post headline recently
i dont like commenting on personalities but remember beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder-the question of being light in complexion ,underweight or overweight is subjective.