PAY YOUR TAXES, MINES ADVISED

THE National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) has said there is a need to strengthen monitoring mechanisms through the Ministry of Mines if the country is to see productivity in the mining sector.

NUMAW President Saul Simunjika, said that the Government should start auditing mines monthly, to ascertain which mines remit their taxes since all mines in the country are listed.

Mr. Simunjika explained that follow ups should be conducted after tax remittance as taxes from mines were critical to the country’s revenue.

In an interview with The Scoop, he urged the Government to emulate Ghana’s mining policies as they were benefiting from minerals through consistent tax remittance.

He explained that failure by some mines to pay their taxes could be deliberate, as some mines would do so to maximize their own profit.

“Maybe out of the said 200 mines, 7 of them allegedly paying are not even paying actual figures as expected as low figures could possibly be declared. We need to find a lasting solution to this problem,” Mr. Simunjika said, adding that there was a need for maximum benefit of minerals from mines.

He stated that the current administration was very much capable of getting to the bottom of such irregularities.

Republican President Mr. Hakainde Hichilema expressed disappointment that out of over 200 mines in the country, only seven contribute taxes.