MPs should take call on taxation in stride

[BAK]

MPs should take call on taxation in stride
By Editor

9th June 2009​

So what do our honourable Members of Parliament have to say to Sunday’s call by civil society organisations that lawmakers’ allowances be subjected to tax?

The CSOs argue that the measure would result in the generation of revenue that would go into helping implement the national strategy for economic growth and poverty alleviation, better known by its Kiswahili acronym Mkukuta.

It is further argued that MPs are among the most highly paid people in Tanzania but, strangely, their income is not taxed.

This may not be that easy to confirm but obviously the income in question does not fall under the lowest brackets and it would therefore take quite a bit of talking to explain the tax exemption factor.

Only as recently as a few years ago, it was considered near taboo for our lawmakers’ emoluments to be discussed in public. Any ‘defiance’ would attract at least a reprimand.

That we have since moved from that era to the present one where one will seldom be summoned for censure at a parliamentary committee meeting or any other forum merely for having made ‘unwarranted disclosures’ about MPs’ affairs is something to be proud of.

We have every reason to build on the happy departure from the previous scenario, at least for the simple reason that MPs are there to represent the people at one of the principal pillars of the State and it should not come as a surprise that persistent appeals are made that their activities should be done in public and be liable to public scrutiny and that they receive whatever salaries and other benefits they deserve in an atmosphere that leaves no unanswered questions.

On this score, it would not be out of tune with reality to learn from a British parliamentary candidate who said recently that there were more qualities of a good lawmaker than merely a combination of integrity, leadership and vision.

To him, it was of prime importance for MPs and all people in government to be available, effective, inspiring, upright, and ‘men and women of the people’.

We subscribe to the candidate’s submissions in their entirety, particularly when he notes that MPs can be true representatives in a democracy only if they understand and are an integral part of the society electing them.

Surely there is need for us to ask our MPs, and they should understand us and appreciate our inquisitiveness if and when we do, how they are like the rest of us and how each has stayed ‘one of us’ through his or her parliamentary career.

Lest we be misunderstood, we are by no means out to suggest that our lawmakers have been below par - for there is abundant evidence of the splendid work our legislature has done over the years.

But unfortunately for them, public leaders are always expected to adhere to the very highest ideals and therefore be above reproach. We therefore think it would be only fair for our MPs to take in their stride Sunday’s call by CSOs, and react similarly if it is heeded.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

 

[KipimaPembe]

Ni jambo la aibu kabisa na kutia kinyaa kuwa wabunge ndo wana mlolongo wa mapato yasiyokatiwa kodi. Sheria ya sasa hivi ya kodi inabana mno. Wafanyakazi wa sehemu zisizokuwa serikalini wanapata taabu kweli kweli. Hata ukisafiri unatakiwa kuretire matumizi yako yote vinginevyo yanaingizwa kwenye pay slip kwa ajili ya kukatiwa kodi. TRA wako very harsh katika kutekeleza hili.

Cha ajabu! Wafanyakazi wa TRA hawahangaishwi namna hii and they don't have to retire anything wanaposafiri. Serikalini wanalipwa per diem halafu wanalipiwa full board (maafisa wakubwa ofcourse) lakini hawatakiwi kuretire anything.

Wabunge wengi wametokea serikalini na haya mambo wanayajua. Kwa hiyo kuwaambia wabunge walipe kodi kutakuwa na implication kuwa wabunge watafukua uozo wote wa kukwepa kodi uliojazana serikalini. Ndo maana hata TRA wako soft on this tax evasion.

Wakati kwa nchi zingine viongozi wanakuwa msitari wa mbele kulipa kodi, kwetu viongozi wanaongoza kwa kukwepa kodi. Njia mojawapo ikiwa ni hii ya kupitisha sheria za kodi zinazowapendelea kwa kuwapa TAX EXEMPTIONS (READ TAX EVATIONS).

Suala hili inatakiwa lipelekwe mahakamani. Hawa wapiganaji wetu wa civil societies wafungue kesi. Hizi sheria zinazowapa wabunge na mawaziri mapato yasiyotakiwa kukatiwa kodi, ni sheria za kibaguzi na zinapingana na katiba.

Kwanza hawa viongozi kulipa kodi kwao ni symbolic kwa sababu wanao uwezo wa kujimegea mapato makubwa zaidi. Tunachotaka mapato yao yawe treated kama mapato ya watu wengine.

Sasa angalia hili. Wabunge 300 tu ambao wanakwepa kulipa kodi ya kama shilingi 3,000,000.00 kila mwezi (kwa sababu asilimia 75 ya mapato yao hayakatiwi kodi) wanainyima hazina jumla ya shilingi milion 900 kwa mwezi au bilion 10.8 kwa mwaka. Hii ni fedha nyingi sana kwa nchi yetu!!

CIVIL SOCIETIES WAFUNGUE KESI MAHAKAMANI KUPINGA WABUNGE KUTOLIPA KODI. SHERIA KAMA HIZI ZINAWAFANYA WABUNGE WASIJALI MIZIGO YA KODI WANAZOWATWISHA WADANGANYIKA KWA SABABU WAO HAWAZILIPI. HII NI SHERIA YA KIBAGUZI HASWAA.

JAMBO LINGINE, WABUNGE WASIWE NA RUHUSA YA KUAMUA MISHAHARA YAO. SASA HIVI WANAFANYA DANGANYA TOTO; ETI BUNGE LIKIPITISHA MISHAHARA ITALIPWA BUNGE LINGINE. BUNGE LINGINE ASILIMIA 80 WATAKUWA HAWA HAWA. MISHAHARA YA WABUNGE IPANGWE TUME YA UTUMISHI WA UMMA KAMA INAVYOPANGWA MISHAHARA YA WALIMU, MAPOLISI, WANAJESHI, MANESI, N.K.