‘OPERATIONAL AUDIT IS THE SOLUTION TO TAX EVASION’

NGM Consulting Engineers Principal Engineer, Ngobola Muyembe has called for the urgent operationalisation of the Operational Audit in the mining sector saying this is the only surest way the country can reduce tax evasion.

Speaking to The Scoop, Engineer Muyembe said Operational Audit gave clear insight of what mines were spending on and overall operations.

He said it was important for mining companies to engage engineers in carrying out audits daily and not monthly as Value Added Tax was collected monthly.

He noted an increase in illegalities in the mining operations, a situation he said should be corrected through the Operational Audit which he said was the only way out for the mining sector to improve and operate as it should.

“The county needs to build future auditors in order to alleviate such occurrences in the years to come,” Engineer Muyembe said.

He said he was against the engagement of foreign nationals in the mining sector, stating that Zambia had very capable mining experts.

“We need to deliberately fall into the habit of employing local professionals as opposed to foreign nationals in the name of expatriates because we have qualified people capable of running these mines, “he said.

He said there was a need for strengthened relations between engineers, mining experts, and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) so that the country’s developmental front improved.

He was reacting to the announcement by ZRA that there was an increase in tax evasion in the retail business.