Zimbabwe should consider taxing land owners, says Mzembi

Government should consider taxing farmers with large tracts of land to generate revenue, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Walter Mzembi said yesterday.

Mzembi told students at the University of Zimbabwe that it was only practical to consider extending taxes to where there was higher revenue instead of starting from the bottom.

Mzembi said his plans to achieve a $5 billion tourism economy was achievable, adding that the future of Zimbabwe and Africa's tourism remained very promising on the back of the continent's massive population.

Meanwhile, Hospital Association Zimbabwe president Tamuka Macheka said  Zimbabwe's visa regime should be revisited and the 15% value-added tax on export sales of accommodation deferred, as both hamper efforts to grow the hospital industry.

Macheka said the visa regime needs to be revisited and it has to be perfected so that people can supply online.

He said this will also reduce the several challenges faced at points of entry into the country which tend to scare away tourists and they also need as a country to consider deferring the 15% value-added tax because while it generates income for the fiscus the benefit is far less than the service it should give.