Sat, 10 Feb 2018 10:54:29 +0000
By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
THE Zambia Tax Platform (ZTP) has announced that it will be launching various campaigns this year demanding accountability of public resources by Government.
And ZTP has called for tolerance for citizens demanding accountability for pertinent governance issues.
In a joined statement of a consortium of Civil Society Organisations, among the campaigns to be launched this year by ZTP would also include demand for cabinet ministers to pay back the salaries and allowances they obtained during their illegal stay in office after Parliament was dissolved.
Other organisations that are part of the statement include Action Aid Zambia, Centre for Trade Policy and Development and ZTP itself.
ZTP therefore advised Government to build public confidence in the management of public resources if Zambia was to succeed in meeting its development goals.
The organisation said Government needed to focus on generating voluntary tax compliance to all citizens to help them appreciate the role of tax.
ZTP notes that the lack of trust by the public over their money negatively affected efforts of institutions such as the Zambia Revenue Authority which was trying to build tax payers confidence.
“ZTP wishes to reiterate concerns of different stakeholders on the abuse of funds which are meant to develop our country and fight poverty. If the Government is to make strides in the fight against corruption and drive development, the country must celebrate activists,” said the organisation.
According to ZTP, creating a conducive governance environment for a diversified and inclusive economy was an overarching developmental objective as clearly pointed out in the Seventh National Development Plan. “There have been challenges with raising resources domestically leading to high debt accumulation and according to the International Monetary Fund, the outstanding public and publicly guaranteed debt rose sharply from 36 percent of GDP at end-2014 to 60 percent at end-2016,
“This is a situation which will impact all of us as citizens given that it will affect how the government raises and spends revenues. There is need to increase transparency and accountability in the use of public funds as each Kwacha becomes more important,” said ZTP.
