More taxes to be collected in 2024 from taxpayers.

 More taxes to be collected in 2024 from taxpayers.

By Daily News Reporter

The Zambia Revenue Authority -ZRA- has projected to collect 125.3-billion kwacha through taxpayers next year.

This represents a 21.5-percent growth from ZRA's contribution to the current national budget of over 103-billion kwacha.

ZRA Commissioner General DINGANI BANDA said that next year's tax collection target amounts to 19.5 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product -GDP.

Speaking during a media conference in Lusaka, Mr. BANDA said the main growth drivers for 2024 are projected to be mining, Information Communication Technology -ICT, Agriculture, manufacturing, transport, tourism and Finance and Insurance.ambia

he has further warned landlords in a habit of evading rental taxes as the authority disclose that there are only 7,000 registered houses in Lusaka.

The ZRA database shows a total number of 13,900 taxpayers, a situation which is worrying as many are reported to be avoiding paying taxes.

He also said that ZRA and Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis (ZIPA) carried out details that will help the authority to make sure that every landlord and tenants account for the houses they occupy.

He added that they will go further by making sure that landlords issue receipts to tenants so that there can be proof of payment to each and every tenant.

"A lot of citizens are evading rental taxes both in residential and low residential areas willfully, a situation that will soon be dealt with aggressively to make sure that every citizen pays tax," he emphasized.

And Mr Banda Noted that there is a decline in the mining and querying which has declined from 39.3 in 2022 to 31.4 in 2023 which translates to a 7.9 percent decline in the year under review.

Mr. Banda wondered why there are only 888 accounts for tax while 520,387 are active taxpayers at the end of 2023 contributing 80 percent of the gross revenue collected during the nine months.

Meanwhile, ZRA Commissioner Direct Taxes Mr. Joseph Nonde expressed commitment in making sure that all citizens and companies comply with the tax payment as that will help the authority to operate perfectly without going through the challenges that they are currently having right now.