Govt to install electronic devices at businesses

Minister of Finance and Economic Development Patrick Chinamasa has said the government through Zimbabwe Revenue Authority will install electronic devices at businesses of major tax [payers at the point of sell as a measure to ensure tax remittances.

Speaking in parliament Chinamasa said  they were taking together with ZIMRA to enhance revenue collection and to stop leakages in the collection of revenue.

"One of the measures that ZIMRA is taking is to install what are called electronic fiscal devises. These devises will be installed in businesses of major tax payers at the point of sell," he said. "So, the point of sale machine will be connected in real time to ZIMRA so that as transactions are being conducted, that information as to what items have been bought whether they attract tax or nor, whether they are to be exempted or not, what items have been bought which attract VAT. All that information in real time will be transmitted to ZIMRA."

He said that information also with time is also transmitted to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and also to the Reserve Bank so that at any one time, ZIMRA is in a position to calculate on a daily basis what tax has been collected by tax payers throughout Zimbabwe.

"So, the installations of these machines will start with the major tax payers for example OK, TM supermarkets, A. Mussa and so on. But as it unfolds, it should cover all tax payers over time. This is primarily to enhance revenue collection. Some of the measures that we are also taking to enhance revenue collection include especially at our key border, that is the Beitbridge border; is to introduce CCTV that monitors the activities of those who pass through that major entry point into Zimbabwe and also into the north of Africa," he said.

Chinamsa said this is also in order to minimise corruption, leakages and it will help that the officers are more transparent, that they do not do any monkey business during the course of their work.

"Other measures that we are also introducing will include tracking system. Trucks that contain goods allegedly destined for Zambia or for the northern countries which are being offloaded once they pass the border. We will also have a tracking system introduced at some point which will track those tracks to make sure that they cross the border, either Chirundu or Nyamapanda, et cetera," he said.

"Coming back to the question, I want to thank the Hon. Senator because this will be a measure if implemented successfully as we think it will, it will go a long way to enhance revenue collection."