State keen on reducing taxes, levies

ANNE ROBI

VICE-PRESIDENT Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan has said that plans were underway to review tax legislations in the country in order to reduce the multiple taxes and levies imposed on traders.

In line with that, Ms Hassan expressed the need for government and private sector leaders to shun talking too much and instead embark on full work in order to achieve better production that would help transform the country’s development.

The VP made the revelation in Dar es Salaam yesterday when addressing stakeholders at a Consultative Meeting on Development of Food Processing Industrial Parks organised by Tanzania Food Processing Association of Women Entrepreneurs (TAFOPA).

“The government is working to review the tax legislations in order to eliminate the numerous levies and taxes imposed on business people especially small-scale traders in the informal sector as efforts towards improving the business environment,” she said. She added that the move would also ensure smooth taxation and levy collection from the traders.

Ms Suluhu said the numerous taxes and levies imposed on businesses people have been a nuisance to the majority of Tanzanians. She said the government is committed to ensuring that the problem is solved.

In another development, the VP said the government is working to ensure that financial institutions and banks in general lower the interest rates charged on loans to allow business people including women entrepreneurs to acquire the loans easily.

“The government is aware of the problem (high loan rates) and has tasked our Bank (Bank of Tanzania) to work on it and come up with a solution that would ensure the financial institutions provide friendlier rates to business people,” she said.

She also pointed out the need for the government to ensure microfinances also offer low rates to business people. “The rates offered by Micro- finances are also very high…we (government) will take charge of the mirco-finances and ensure the rates are lowered for business people to acquire financial support,” she noted.

In another development, the VP condemned Tanzanians for engaging themselves in too much talking instead of working, a move that she said was the main reason as why the country fails in development. She noted that the fifth phase government has aspired to work much harder and acquire better results.

Commenting on the food processing industrial park, Ms Suluhu said that the government has directed local and regional government authorities to set aside the industrial parks for business people and investors to start developing their businesses.

The Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment, Mr Charles Mwijage, assured TAFOPA and other traders of government commitment to ensure full support to business people.