While Kenya leads in number of tourists, Tanzania leads in earnings!

Cicero

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Jan 20, 2016
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Heated debate on the 18 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on tourism services and transit cargo was yesterday closed, with President John Magufuli strongly backing the new charges. The president said the government was determined to exhaust all available sources in its quest to increase revenues to fund development projects.

"It's better to have 500,000 tourists who pay tax than host two million who do not," Dr Magufuli said in Dar es Salaam after witnessing 58 senior police officers taking pledge of integrity for public leaders at State House.

The officers were recently promoted to Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP) and Senior Assistant Commissioners of Police (SACP). Dr Magufuli blasted some players in the maritime industry who have been complaining on reduced numbers of ships docking at the Dar es Salaam port due to introduced VAT for transit cargo through Tanzania.


"In the past we had very many containers at the port which were not paying taxes but the situation has changed. We rather have few ships docking and paying requisite taxes," he observed. Dr Magufuli dared importers fond of evading taxes to use other ports outside Tanzania if they were not willing to pay the taxes. Finance and Planning Minister Philip Mpango introduced the VAT on tourism services when presenting budget estimates for the financial year 2016/2017 in Dodoma last month. However, since then players in the industry have been complaining that the new duty would harm the booming industry.

The declaration by President Magufuli will now close the chapter and operators in the industry will be required to pay the duty. Just recently, the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Charles Tizeba, maintained that the 18 per cent VAT on tourism services will not harm the growth of the sector as it was carefully researched before it was introduced.

Dr Tizeba explained that all key stakeholders in the sector were consulted before the new tax was introduced and were satisfied that it would not cripple the sector which is leading in foreign exchange earnings in Tanzania.

"The government is aware of the competitive environment among the East African Community member states and the country's weaknesses and strengths in the sector... this matter should not be used to mislead people because it may send wrong signal to stakeholders," he said.

Mr Tizeba further explained that Tanzania's tourism was different from other countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, noting: "While Kenya is leading in number of tourists visiting the country, Tanzania earns from the sector more than Kenya."

He observed that, before the Finance Act was endorsed by Members of Parliament, key players were involved in every aspect as budget preparations passed through various stages.
 
Hili jambo ni very technical; kupanga ni kuchagua! Hoja hapa ikiwa ni aina ya uchumi unauojenga!

JPM na serikali yake tayari wameshachukua njia; kwamba wanajenga central economy; yaani Macroeconomics!

Tatizo ni pale wanapoonekana kusahau kabisa Microeconomic side. Kwa wale wasiofahamu masuala ya uchumi; majority tunaendeshwa na microeconomic side of economy!

Tukirudi kwenye VAT in Tourism. Mosi, VAT yenyewe moja kwa moja inajenga Macroeconomic side. Tukija kwenye impact; VAT itapunguza kwa kiasi kikubwa wale Watalii ambao Magembe kawaita Maskini. Hawa ni wale Watalii ambao wakiingia nchini wanafikia hotel za bei rahisi; ndio wale unakutana nao Posta wanakula mahindi ya kuchoma, ukienda public beach unawakuta; wanakamata madada poa, n.k na kote huko wanachangia sana microeconomic side ambayo ndiyo inaendesha uchumi wa cku kwa cku wa wananchi!

Hawa Watalii wa VAT ni wale ambao wakifika wanafikia Serena Hotel! You'll never ever find them in public places! Hutawakuta na mahindi ya barabarani! Tena usishangae wengine wakafikia Double Tree na wakaondokea Double Tree hata Mjini wasiguse!

Hawa Watalii wa VAT wana faida zaidi kwa wenye mahoteli na hiyo VAT lakini economic impact yao ni ndogo compared kwa Watalii "maskini!"

Kutokana na ukweli huo, naunga mkono Kenyan strategy compared na hii strategy yetu! Strategy yetu ingekuwa economically viable only if tungekuwa tumefikia highest number of tourists wanaoingia nchini kwa kuangalia vivutio tulivyo navyo! Ukitaka kuelewa chukua watu X na Y. X ana hotel yenye vitanda 20 na hana eneo la ziada! Y nae ni hivyo hivyo lakini kuna vyumba vya ziada 10 visivyo na vitanda lakini wote kila cku wanakataa wageni kv hotel zinakuwa zimejaa!

Ktk mazingira kama hayo, X anaweza kuweka VAT/'kuongeza bei kama njia ya kuongeza mapato lakini Y hatakiwi kufikiria kuongeza bei kama njia ya kuongeza mapato wakati kuna vyumba 10 vipo underutilized! Badala ya kuongeza bei na kuhatarisha idadi ya wateja, rational decision kwake ni kuongeza vitanda ili aongeze mapato kutokana na kuongezeka wageni!
 
Hili jambo ni very technical; kupanga ni kuchagua! Hoja hapa ikiwa ni aina ya uchumi unauojenga!

JPM na serikali yake tayari wameshachukua njia; kwamba wanajenga central economy; yaani Macroeconomics!

Tatizo ni pale wanapoonekana kusahau kabisa Microeconomic side. Kwa wale wasiofahamu masuala ya uchumi; majority tunaendeshwa na microeconomic side of economy!

Tukirudi kwenye VAT in Tourism. Mosi, VAT yenyewe moja kwa moja inajenga Macroeconomic side. Tukija kwenye impact; VAT itapunguza kwa kiasi kikubwa wale Watalii ambao Magembe kawaita Maskini. Hawa ni wale Watalii ambao wakiingia nchini wanafikia hotel za bei rahisi; ndio wale unakutana nao Posta wanakula mahindi ya kuchoma, ukienda public beach unawakuta; wanakamata madada poa, n.k na kote huko wanachangia sana microeconomic side ambayo ndiyo inaendesha uchumi wa cku kwa cku wa wananchi!

Hawa Watalii wa VAT ni wale ambao wakifika wanafikia Serena Hotel! You'll never ever find them in public places! Hutawakuta na mahindi ya barabarani! Tena usishangae wengine wakafikia Double Tree na wakaondokea Double Tree hata Mjini wasiguse!

Hawa Watalii wa VAT wana faida zaidi kwa wenye mahoteli na hiyo VAT lakini economic impact yao ni ndogo compared kwa Watalii "maskini!"

Kutokana na ukweli huo, naunga mkono Kenyan strategy compared na hii strategy yetu! Strategy yetu ingekuwa economically viable only if tungekuwa tumefikia highest number of tourists wanaoingia nchini kwa kuangalia vivutio tulivyo navyo! Ukitaka kuelewa chukua watu X na Y. X ana hotel yenye vitanda 20 na hana eneo la ziada! Y nae ni hivyo hivyo lakini kuna vyumba vya ziada 10 visivyo na vitanda lakini wote kila cku wanakataa wageni kv hotel zinakuwa zimejaa!

Ktk mazingira kama hayo, X anaweza kuweka VAT/'kuongeza bei kama njia ya kuongeza mapato lakini Y hatakiwi kufikiria kuongeza bei kama njia ya kuongeza mapato wakati kuna vyumba 10 vipo underutilized! Badala ya kuongeza bei na kuhatarisha idadi ya wateja, rational decision kwake ni kuongeza vitanda ili aongeze mapato kutokana na kuongezeka wageni!
Kwenye hili la kodi kwa kweli namsupport sana Magufuli. Haiwezekani sekta ya utalii ni one of the biggest forex earners lakini kwenye kodi haimo hata top 5.
Kumbuka mtalii akiamua kuja Tanzania a lion's share of the money atakayotumia wala haiji Tanzania. Most of these tour companies ni foreign. Atakata ticket ndege foreign (emirates au qatar au hata Kenya airways), atalala hoteli foreign (serena, hilton, hyatt). Atacontract a foreign tour company huko kwao, na ndio maana wengi wanaolia kuumizwa na hii kodi ni foreign tour operators na maagent wao hapa bongo.
Kwa kifupi, kama atatumia dola 3000, 60% of that haitaingia Tanzania.
Yet mtalii bado atakuja. What does Tanzania benefit from all this? Peanuts!
Tatizo letu waafrika we get satisfied with so little. Tunaambiwa tunaearn $2 billion from tourism yet ukiangalia vizuri we should be earning far more than that!
Kodi walipe tu!
Besides, watalii wakiwa wengi wanachangia sana kumomonyoka kwa maadili na kuchafua mazingira!
 
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Air Tanzania itachochea vipi utalii wakati inapiga domestic na regional routes only?
Boss....air Tanzania ikifufuliwa fully itakuwa ni boost kubwa sana kwenye sector ya utalii. Waifufue, waipe exclusive rights kufly domestic routes, then waiingize kwenye hizo alliances za makampuni ya ndege za nje ili iweze kuanza kufly international routes.
 
Boss....air Tanzania ikifufuliwa fully itakuwa ni boost kubwa sana kwenye sector ya utalii. Waifufue, waipe exclusive rights kufly domestic routes, then waiingize kwenye hizo alliances za makampuni ya ndege za nje ili iweze kuanza kufly international routes.
Zile alliance zina faida kwa makampuni ambayo tayari yameshajiestablish sana. Ila kwa makampuni yaliyo machanga kama hili la Magufuli litazidi kudidimia.
Labda wawe wanashare codes na baadhi ya mashirika.
Na ukumbuke watalii wanatoka ulaya, sasa kama huendi huko ulaya kuwachukua utawapata wapi?
 
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