AfricaPress-Tanzania: SECOND Vice-President, Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdalla has directed the Zanzibar Revenue Board (ZRB) to submit to him a list of long-term or chronic debtors within seven days so that legal action can be taken against them.
He issued the order on Tuesday when he visited the ZRB offices at Mazizini in the City, saying there are allegations that some business people and investors dodge or delay to pay tax with help from some dishonest ZRB staff.
“The government relies on the tax collected on time, but some dishonest staff deny the government its revenue because of personal gains. We must act on that problem,” said Mr Abdalla, demanding to get the list of business people, including investors entitled to pay tax but have either delayed for long or have not paid at all.
He warned investors and business operators in Zanzibar that being chronic in settling debts may lead to revoking their licences or denied investment permits in the country, because the government cannot operate without tax.
ZRB debtors’ manager, Ms Asya Abdisalami informed the Vice President that there are hoteliers, investors and other big business persons who owe ZRB more than 17bn/= which has taken long to be paid.
ZRB Commissioner, Mr Joseph Abdalla Meza said before the second vice president that his office had taken some legal action against chronic debtors, which include revocation of licences and some taken to court.
Meza said “With improved technology, we have been able to track all payments and communications between customers and staff, and the dishonest staff have been disciplined.”
