Sports / Local
Government turns down Bosso request
15 Apr 2015 at 06:34hrs | Views
THE government has turned down Highlanders Football Club's application for a duty rebate for a team bus they are importing, Chronicle Sport reported.
While no official confirmation could be obtained from the Bulawayo giants, who were also offered a bus by Nyaradzo Funeral Services but turned it down, well placed sources at the club confirmed receiving the news yesterday through Zifa, who later confirmed the developments.
Highlanders now need to secure between $25,000 and $27,000 to get the bus cleared, more than what they had initially set aside for the purchase of the vehicle.
Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela told Chronicle Sport last night that the government, through the Finance Ministry, turned down Bosso's request and gave two main reasons for the decision.
"Sports equipment classified under the goods that can qualify for duty rebates do not have a bus as one of them. A bus is not sport equipment and secondly, only sports associations affiliated to the Sports and Recreation commission (SRC) can qualify to have their sports purchases through the facility and Highlanders is not affiliated to the supreme sports body that is the SRC hence their application got turned down," said Gwesela.
The bus was bought with the assistance of prominent Bosso benefactor, Tshinga Dube. The club gave Dube $20,000 who then added $25,000.
During the club's annual general meeting early this year, Dube told Highlanders members that the bus had since been bought and it was up to the club to look for money to pay duty for it.
Webster Chikengezha, the Nyaradzo Funeral Services chief executive officer last night said the bus that his company donated to Highlanders was still available.
"We gave a bus each to Caps United, Black Rhinos, Black Mambas, Buffaloes, Dynamos and Highlanders. All the teams have since collected theirs except Highlanders. The bus that picked them up for the Gushungo celebrations is their bus, it has since been parked for over a year now with the club saying they are still sorting out their contractual obligations with their principal sponsors," said Chikengezha.
Highlanders, like Dynamos, are principally sponsored by banking institution, BancABC.
Efforts to get a comment from Highlanders chairman, Peter Dube were fruitless last night as he was said to be in South Africa and is expected back today.
While no official confirmation could be obtained from the Bulawayo giants, who were also offered a bus by Nyaradzo Funeral Services but turned it down, well placed sources at the club confirmed receiving the news yesterday through Zifa, who later confirmed the developments.
Highlanders now need to secure between $25,000 and $27,000 to get the bus cleared, more than what they had initially set aside for the purchase of the vehicle.
Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela told Chronicle Sport last night that the government, through the Finance Ministry, turned down Bosso's request and gave two main reasons for the decision.
"Sports equipment classified under the goods that can qualify for duty rebates do not have a bus as one of them. A bus is not sport equipment and secondly, only sports associations affiliated to the Sports and Recreation commission (SRC) can qualify to have their sports purchases through the facility and Highlanders is not affiliated to the supreme sports body that is the SRC hence their application got turned down," said Gwesela.
During the club's annual general meeting early this year, Dube told Highlanders members that the bus had since been bought and it was up to the club to look for money to pay duty for it.
Webster Chikengezha, the Nyaradzo Funeral Services chief executive officer last night said the bus that his company donated to Highlanders was still available.
"We gave a bus each to Caps United, Black Rhinos, Black Mambas, Buffaloes, Dynamos and Highlanders. All the teams have since collected theirs except Highlanders. The bus that picked them up for the Gushungo celebrations is their bus, it has since been parked for over a year now with the club saying they are still sorting out their contractual obligations with their principal sponsors," said Chikengezha.
Highlanders, like Dynamos, are principally sponsored by banking institution, BancABC.
Efforts to get a comment from Highlanders chairman, Peter Dube were fruitless last night as he was said to be in South Africa and is expected back today.
Source - chronicle
