A CATHOLIC priest has challenged finance minister Alexander Chikwanda to resign so that he can pursue his personal interests in the mines outside government.
Commenting on revelations that Chikwanda wanted the government to pay mining companies a disputed US$600 million (K3.6 billion) in value added tax repayments over a staggered period, Fr Anthony Salangeta, editor of Icengelo and Challenge magazines at Mission Press in Ndola, said there was “something fishy” in Chikwanda’s conduct regarding mining houses which needed to be stopped.
The Zambia Revenue Authority has withheld over $600 million in value added tax repayments from mining companies that have failed to provide importer documentation that qualified them to reclaim VAT on zero-rated copper exports.
Fr Salangeta, who is also Chibufu Catholic Parish priest, said poor Zambians were waiting for the government to collect even more taxes from the mines.
He said there was need for the PF leadership and the government to watch Chikwanda closely in his dealings with mining firms.
“First of all, it was President Michael Sata who reversed Statutory Instrument 89 which was not in the interest of majority Zambians which was drawn by the same minister. Zambians have been crying. In fact, the PF promised to tax mines even more, but instead he wants to give them even more money,” Fr Salangeta said.
“There is something fishy going on here. Let government come out and explain. Let the government spokesperson tell the nation what government position is on this matter, failure to which we will take it as government policy. We cannot refund what we don’t owe. The minister needs to be closely watched because it is his behaviour that is making people say he has interests in mining houses.”
He said the nation was concerned about Chikwanda’s conduct because he was not running a personal business but government business on behalf of the people.
“Let him resign, let him step down and pursue his personal interests. If he does that, no one will touch him because he will be doing personal business with the mines, but not when he represents the people,” Fr Salangeta said.
He also charged that Chikwanda’s threats to sue mineral economist and University of Zambia lecturer, Dr Mathias Mpande did not carry weight as he had failed to categorically respond to ‘objective’ and pertinent issues which the latter was raising.
Fr Salangeta said failure to act on Chikwanda’s conduct could mean that there was lack of leadership on the part of government.