RUKWA TRADERS USE UNREGISTERED EFDS TO EVADE TAX

SOME dishonest traders in Rukwa Region use unregistered Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) to evade tax, the Regional Commissioner, Mr Joachim Wangabo has said.

peaking at Rukwa Regional Business Council meeting at the municipality over the weekend, he said having unregistered EFDs was a new way for tax evasion which has already negatively impacted on the revenue collection in the region.

He directed Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) in Rukwa Region to launch an operation to investigate and take to task the culprits. “Tax evasion denies development of infrastructures and, social services … so TRA must launch extensive operation to nab all the tax evaders. I have given the TRA seven days,” said Mr Wangabo.

He said some dishonest traders do not provide receipts to their customers while others have been selling products direct from the trucks without having receipts. Tax evasion has lowered revenue collection which reached 2.2bn/- between October and December last year, he said.

Some members of the business community complained that about 316 traders had already paid for EFDs but had not received the devices. The Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (TCCIA) Rukwa Regional Chairman, Mr Sadrick Malila echoed sentiments by members of the business community over the myriads of taxes imposed on business people in the region which give them hard time and prompt them to cheat. He advised the re-establishment of tax payers forum which actively engaged business people on healthy discussions before it was disbanded by TRA.

He accused some TRA officers for acting aggressively towards traders saying that would be counterproductive in enhancing tax compliance and promoting growth of businesses. However, the TRA Regional Manager, Mr Fredrick Nyariri refuted Mr Malila allegations saying that they were based on misleading information and missed authenticity.

“It is not true that we have failed to surpass our revenue collection given that November last year TRA in the region targeted to collect revenue mounting to over 801m/- and we collected over 928m/- and by December last year our target was to collect over 908m/- and we collected over 996m/- … I m very sad and disheartened to tell you that TCCIA regional manager (Mr Malima)’s accounts is misleading” reacted TRA regional manager.

Mr Nyariri further said plan is underway to ensure that TRA in the region will start to sell EFDs machines and refrain from having one agent who supplies the fiscal devices in and outside the region. Meanwhile, the Rukwa Regional government is planning to revive coffee farming in all four councils in the region instead of entirely depending on maize being both food and cash crop.

The Rukwa Regional Commissioner (RC) Mr Joachim Wangabo directed all four councils of Nkasi, Kalambo, Sumbawanga and Sumbawanga municipalities to persuade farmers from their precincts to start farming coffee. He further said that coffee farming would subsequently help farmers to have reliable cash crop whose market is available and competitive inside the country and overseas.

The RC said that while opening the Rukwa Regional Business Council held here over the week end in municipality directing agriculture experts from Nkasi, Kalambo, Sumbawanga District and Sumbawanga municipality to set up special programmes that will incorporate farmers and start farming coffee next farming season.

On his part Zone Manager for TACRI at Mbimba Centre in Mbozi District, Songwe region, Mr Isack Mushi insisted that research show that coffee can do well in Rukwa region.

DailyNews