Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has embarked on training
Chinese business community on taxation laws and regulations to promote revenue
collections among the mainly business community.
The country has observed an increased number of Chinese
investors in various manufacturing industries dodging tax payment, leading to
the loss of government revenues.
However, TRA Manager of Taxpayer Education Diana Masalla
said the authority is conducting a seminar to ensure that foreign business men
including Chinese comply with the country’s tax laws, though “Chinese nationals
are among the best taxpayers in the country.”
“We aren’t saying Chinese businessmen are not paying tax,
but this is our routine seminars to businessmen in breaking the communication
barrier in tax payment system, apparently broadening the tax base,” she
said.
Mesalla said that the move follows discovery that
language posed a major communication barrier between Chinese business community
and TRA.
“Language is a big challenge to the them. They wouldn’t
understand the rules and regulations surrounding our tax payment system, and
that’s why we have introduced such seminars,” she said.
She was echoed by Managing Director of Jiteng Consultancy
Limited, Andrew Huang, a Dar es Salaam-based Chinese entrepreneur who said that
his compatriots failed to communicate with tax collectors mainly due to
language barrier. “Some of us speak neither Swahili nor English, while the tax
men don’t speak Chinese,” he said.
“Chinese businessmen have found themselves in trouble
with tax collectors not because they are reluctant at paying, but rather
because they are ignorant of taxation details,” he added.
Familiar with the Tanzania’s tax environment, Haung said
he was actively engaged in waging awareness campaign in promoting tax
collection among his people and act as a bond between TRA and his
community.
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