By Deus Ngowi in Arusha
THE Ministry of Minerals has surpassed its target in Arusha Region by collecting 2.7bn/- from July last year to June this year.
The collection
entails taxes, duties, charges and money paid upon issuance of mining
and mineral
business permits to both small and big traders.
Acting Mining
Officer in-Charge (Arusha), Robert Eric said his office had collection
objectives to the tune of 2.5bn/-, but due to working hard and
collaboration with stakeholders they had exceeded the target.
Expounding on the
matter, Mr Eric said collection skyrocketed due to, partly, some big
businesspersons and brokers adding value to minerals before being sold
out of the region. As of now, the value of minerals is estimated in the
country.
He noted that by
adding value to the minerals, while they were still in Arusha or in the
country led to more youth employment, as businesspersons hired them for
cutting and polishing the minerals, while, on the other hand, boosted
the government coffers.
The officer called
upon businesspersons in Arusha to embrace the idea of procuring
mineral-cutting machines so that they added value to minerals, created
jobs, hence more income to them, to employees as well as to the
government.
He added that by so doing there would be more money in circulation.
Commenting on
Tanzanite business in the region, Mr Eric said there was no fluctuation,
adding that it was upon entrepreneurs to advise the government on what
to do so that the mineral zoisite thrived and benefitted the country and
its people.
Tanzania Mineral
Dealers' Association (Tamida), Secretary, Benny Mutalemwa advised
mineral dealers all over the country to adhere to laws of the land and
set up rules and guidelines, especially paying respective taxes.
He said given the fact that the government had removed many taxes, the businesspersons should not evade tax anymore
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