dear mr. President,
like most tanzanians, i applaud you for going after the tax evaders and corrupted government officials. It's about time.
However, to make tanzanians more tax compliant and to reduce corruption, serious economic and political reforms must be implemented immediately.
I propose the following to your administration:
1. Reduce vat to 10%.
This will stimulate the economy by making goods and services affordable to low income earners.
2. Eliminate income tax for income below 1 million shillings a month for salaried workers and 4 million for traders.
This will increase spending power for poor consumers and help them afford to pay their bills. It will also make small traders more willing to pay taxes without reducing their capital. They can also be able to invest more in their businesses if they have extra income.
3. Reduce income tax for businesses. High taxes, without fine-tuning the rates in times of economic slowdow/crisis is one of the reasons why 99% of businesses cheat the government of tax revenue. Economic hardship encourage civil servants to take bribes to pay for the high cost of living. It also encourage businesspeople to give bribe to make their products more competitive.
4. Introduce civil service reforms. Productive civil servants should be paid more and promoted accordingly. Incompetent ones should be fired and corrupt ones should serve long prison sentences. The civil servants should not expect "life employment" if they are not competent. Competitive wages to the civil servants will also discourage corruption.
5. Increase the minimum wage to at least 500,000 a month. Most tanzanians cannot eat 3 meals a day, let alone send their children to a good school with the current wages. This wage should also cover domestic workers. They have long suffered from minimum wage exclusion.
6. Reform the court sysyem.
Too many poor tanzanians are spending years behind prison for petty crimes. Please set people free if they have served over 3 years waiting for their cases to be heard. The judges should send them to clean government buildings, clear trash in the city or do something more productive instead. It will also reduce prison congestion. Prison facilities should also be improved. It is a real shame, in this day and age, not to provide enough toilets to prisoners.
Judges should be not allowed to take a leave of absence for whatever reason other than health. Cases must be heard and judgement given in a reasonable time. It should not take 5 years to conclude a simple case.
The judiciary must be, at all times, feel, look and function independent of government pressure/interference. Even though our constitution stipulates that independence, in reality, the government often ignores it if the courts makes decisions not in her favour. Tanzanians would like to see the government respect court decisions. This will show the world our maturity as a democratic nation.
Before you introduce special courts to deal with corrupted civil servants and tax evaders, reform the current system first. It is impossible at the moment to seek justice in the court of law. It is not only time consuming but the system is heavily corrupted. Not only do average citizens are denied justice, it also discourages investors' confidence. It takes too long to settle business disputes.
7. Let more foreign nationals get visas on arrival. This will encourage more tourists to come to tanzania hassle free.
8. Introduce a special visa for rich retirees. This will increase foreign revenue, employment and taxes.
9. Allow highly educated foreigners to work/immigrate to tanzania for a fee. They will bring in much needed skills which are in short supply and capital. They will ask create employment.
10. Legalize dual citizenship.
11. Direct the postal service administrators not to tax packaged goods meant for personal use (under 300, 000 value).
Impose lower taxes for imports through the postal services to encourage internet businesses to flourish. This will make it possible for small traders to afford starting a business with little capital. They can import without filling a container.
12. Encourage domestic manufacturers to invest with confidence by introducing competitive tax rates and by reducing red tape. They should be able to get all the necessary permits and licenses faster and cheaper under one roof.
13. Discourage luxurious imports by imposing higher taxes on them.
14. Since transportation network is still poor, many people depend on their cars for transportation. Currently, unrealistic tax rates just encourage corruption to take place. I suggest lowering car import tax to 25% for brand new cars regardless of engine capacity and 35% for used cars under 10 years old. This will let more tanzanians afford to import more cars. You can then charge them more for road tax and make them pay for road worthy sticker as well. You can easily get 200,000 -1,000,000 per car, per year, depending on the engine size, for the duration of the car's usage.
15. Allow the people of zanzabar and tanganyika to choose their future destiny. I believe majority of tanzanians believe in the union. However, we were not consulted. I believe the people are now mature enough to decide on their fate through a referendum. It is the right way, the democratic way to seek our consent.
Mr. President, i hope my suggestions will be of some use to your administration. I am sure other jf contributors will come forward and give you more suggestion and proposals. All we want, is a strong, stable and prosperous country.
My very best wishes to your administration.
Sincerely,
tokyo40
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barua ya wazi kwa mheshimiwa raisi magufuli
ndugu mheshimiwa raisi magufuli,
kama watanzania wengi, nakupongeza kwa kazi yako ya kuwafuata na kuwashughulikia ipasavyo wakwepaji kodi na wala rushwa serikalini.
hata hivyo, ili kuwafanya watanzania walipe kodi kwa hiari na kupunguza rushwa, inabidi mageuzi makubwa ya kiuchumi na ya kisiasa yafanyike na kutekelezwa haraka iwezakanavyo.
napendekeza yafuatayo kwa serikali yako:
1. Punguza vat iwe asilimia 10
upunguzaji wa vat utasaidia na kuchochea uchumi kwa kufanya bei ya vitu rahisi kwa wananchi wenye uwezo mdogo.
2. ondoa kodi ya mapato kwa wafanyazazi wenye mshahara wa chini ya milioni moja kwa mwezi na kwa wafanyabiashara wanaopata faida chini ya milioni nne kwa mwezi. Hii itawasaidia wananchi wa hali ya chini kuzidisha matumizi na kuwasaidia kulipa gharama kubwa ya maisha. Hii pia itawafanya wafanyabiashara wadogo kulipa kodi kitiifu zaidi bila ya kuumiza mitaji yao ya biashara, na pesa inayobaki wanaweza kuzidishia katika uwekezaji wao.
3. punguza kodi kwa wafanyabiashara. Kodi kubwa bila ya kufanywa marekebisho kulingama ma hali ya uchumi wa nchi, ni sababu kubwa ya zaidi ya asilimia 99 ya wafanyabiashara kukwepa kodi. Hali ngumu ya maisha pia inawafanya wafanyakazi wa serikali kuomba rushwa ili walipe gharama za maisha. Kodi kubwa pia inawahamasisha wafanyabiashara kutoa rushwa ili kupunguza gharama za bidhaa zao, hasa wakati mgumu wa kibiashara.
4. anzisha mageuzi katika sekta ya wafanyakazi wa serikali. Wachapa kazi walipwe zaidi na kupandishwa chea haraka. Wavivu wa kazi wafukuzwe kazi, wala rushwa wapelekwe mahakamani na kuadhibiwa kwa kifungo kirefu. Mishahara mikubwa kwa wafanyakazi wa serikali pia itasaidia kupunguza rushwa kwa kuwa watakuwa na uwezo wa kukabiliana na hali ngumu ya maisha.
5. zidisha kiwango cha mshahara wa chini kifike 500,000 kwa mwezi. Watanzania wengi kwa sasa wanashindwa hata kula milo mitatu kwa siku, sembuse kulipa ada za shule na kodi ya nyumba kwa mshahara wa sasa. Kiwango hiki cha chini pia kiwe mshahara wa wafanyakazi wa nyumbani, ambao kwa miaka mingi wananyanyaswa kwa kutopewa mshahara wa kima cha chini.
6. fanya mageuzi katika mfumo wa mahakama
kuna vibaka wengi wapo jela zaidi ya miaka mitatu wanasubiri hukumu zao. Hawa ni watanzania wasio na uwezo wa kutoa rushwa wala dhamana. Naomba uwatoe jela kwa kuwa makosa yao ni madogo madogo na wameshaadhibiwa vya kutosha jela. Kama adhabu, vibaka wapewe adhabu ya kusafisha nyumba na ofisi za serikali, kuokota taka mjini au wapewe adhabu nyingine. Pia, jela zimejaa wafungwa na nafasi ni ndogo mno. Wakipewa adhabu ya nje, itapunguza idadi kubwa ya wafungwa. Pia, wajengee vyoo vya kutosha. Ni aibu kwa taifa, kutofanya hivyo.
mahakimu wasiruhusiwe kuhairisha kesi bila sababu maalumu. Kesi lazima zisikilizwe haraka ipasavyo na hukumu zitolewe haraka ili kukinga haki za wananchi. Mara nyingi kesi ndogo zinachukua hata miaka mitano.
pia, tunaomba serikali iiheshimu na kufuata hukumu za mahakama na isiingilie kazi zake kama inavyosema katiba ya nchi. Mara nyingi serikali za awamu za nyuma zilidharau hukumu za mahakama. Hii inaipa sura mbaya nchi, siyo tabia ya kidemokrasia na haionyeshi kuwa nchi imekomaa kidemokrasia.
kabla ya kuleta mahakama maalum za kuwahukumu wawekpa kodi, wala rushwa na mafisadi wengine, fanya mageusi kwanza. Ni tabu mno kwa mwananchi wa kawaida kupata haki yake mahakamani. Hukumu zinachukua mna mwingi kupita kiasi na mahakama zetu zinanuka rushwa. Siyo tu, mwananchi wa kawaida ananyimwa haki yake, pia, hali hii inawakata tamaa wawekezaji. Ni hasara kwa mfanyabiashara, kusubiri hukumu kwa muda usiojulikana kama kuna ugomvi wa kibiashara. Pesa za mtaji zinakwenda kutafuta haki, mwishowe watu wanafukuzwa kazi kupunguza gharama. Hasara hapa siyo ya mfanyabiashara peke yake, bali ya serikali kukosa kodi na ya mfanyakazi kukosa ajira.
7. ruhusu wageni / watalii wa nchi nyingi zaidi waingie tanzania kwa viza ya uwanja wa ndege. Hii itasaidia kuleta wageni zaidi bila ya kuomba viza katika ubalozi wetu. Serikali itapata fedha za kigeni zaidi na kuzalisha ajira zaidi.
8. anzisha viza maalum kwa ajili ya wastaafu wa kitajiri. Wataleta pato la kigeni, ajira na kodi.
9. ruhusu raia wa kigeni wenye kisomo cha juu kufanya kazi na kuishi tanzania. Watoze ada. Hii italeta wasomi wenye elimu ambayo ipo pungufu au hamna kabisa tanzania. Pia, italeta ajira na fedha za kigeni nchini.
10. Ruhusu uraia pacha.
11. waelekeze maofisa wa posta wasitutoze kozi tukipokea mizigo kwa njia ya posta kama ni kwa ajili ya matumizi binafsi. (chini ya thamani ya laki tatu). Toza ushuru mdogo kwa watumiaji wa posta ili wafanyabiashara wadogo wenye mtaji mdogo waweze kuagiza mali kutoka nje na kuuza kwa faida. Hii itaikuza biashara ya mitandao, itatoa ajira na kodi kwa serikali. Pia, wafanyabiashara wadogo hawatalazimika kutumia makontena ya gharama kubwa.
12. wape moyo wazalishaji wa ndani kwa kuwatoza ushuru usioumiza biashara na faida na kwa kupunguza aina mbalimbali ya leseni na vibali na kodi tofauti tofauti. Warahisishie kazi kwa kuwapatia huduma zote sehemu moja, kama wanavyofanyiwa wawekezaji wa nje. Kodi isiwe ya kukomoana bali ya kujenga taifa na biashara za nyumbani.
13. weka kodi kubwa kwa vitu visivyo na haja kubwa kwa jamii ili kukuza uchumi wa nyumbani na kusalimisha fedha za kigeni kutumiwa nje. Pia, vitu kama matunda ya afrika kusini au juisi, hatuvihitaji. Weka ushuru mkubwa ili wakulima wao waje kulima kwetu au watanzania wale matunda ya nyumbani zaidi kusaidia wakulima wetu.
14. kwa kuwa usafiri ni bado matatizo, watanzania wengi wanategemea magari kwa usafiri. Kwa sasa, ushuru mkubwa unaotozwa na serikali unasaidia kuzidisha rushwa nchini. Ningependekeza ushuru wa gari uwe asilimia 25 kwa gari jipya na asilimia 35 kwa gari lililotumika sio zaidi ya miaka 10, kwa ukubwa wowote ya injini ya gari. Hii itawasaidia watanzania wa hali ya kati wenye uwezo wa kununua gari kupata usafiri wa maana na serikali itaweza kuwatoza kodi ya barabara na ya usalama/ukaguzi wa gari kila mwaka.hapa unaweza kutoza kodi kutokana na ukubwa wa injini na kuingiza kodi kati ya laki mbili mpaka milioni moja kwa kila gari, kila mwaka.
15. ruhusu wananchi wa zanzibar na tanganyika wapige kura ya maoni ili wafanye maamuzi ya kutaka au kupinga umoja wetu. Nadhani wananchi wengi wanaupenda umoja na kura ya kutaka umoja itashinda. Lakini, hapa watakuwa wameombwa rasmi maoni yao kuhusu huu umoja. Tukirihusiw akupiga kura ya maoni, itaonyesha dunia kuwa tumekomaa kidemokrasia na tumetaka au tumekataa huu umoja wetu.
mheshimiwa raisi, nategemea mapendekezo yangu yatasaidia kidogo serikali yako. Nina uhakika watakuja wachangiaji wengine wa jf na kukupa mapendekezo yao pia. Tunachotaka sisi wananchi ni nchi iliyo na uchumi mzuri, imara, yenye nguvu na amani.
nakutakia kila la kheri katika serikali yako.
Wako mtiifu,
tokyo40