ATTEMPTS by Alexander Chikwanda to help mining companies in reclaiming tax repayments from government are a clear indication that we have a wrong man as Minister of Finance, says Edith Nawakwi.
In an interview yesterday, Nawakwi, who is FDD leader and former Minister of Finance, said there was complete disorder at the ministry and the manner in which Chikwanda was managing the country’s resources and revenues was extremely shocking.
She said reports that Chikwanda wanted to pay mining companies a disputed US$600 million as tax repayments were extremely disturbing.
She said Chikwanda must resign from his position because he could not serve the country diligently, as he had his own interests in the mines.
“Chikwanda is not doing us any good. The economy has no direction because of him. This is the same minister who gave tax relief to some mine to export copper concentrate. He is in a wrong place, at a wrong time and in a wrong period and decade. For now, all we can do is to just look at things and sympathise with ourselves and say ‘what have we done to God to deserve all this?’” she said.
Nawakwi said development in the country would only be inspired by Zambians and Chikwanda as Minister of Finance needed to be giving tax relief to local entrepreneurs and not the foreign mining companies.
She said some ministers were suppliers in the mines and the situation had made it difficult for them to execute their duties in the best interest of the nation.
“What is more disheartening is that Chikwanda removed some tax provisions for the churches and Non Governmental Organisations to access some tax relief. Churches such as the Catholic Church, the Seventh Day Adventists, United Church of Zambia and many other churches have institutions that supplement government efforts in the provision of social services. We woke up one morning only to hear that the Minister of Finance has issued Statutory Instrument number 103 which removed incentives to support the provision of social services. Now, today, we hear he wants to give tax refunds to the mines. This was very shocking and that’s why we have said Chikwanda is in a wrong job,” said Nawakwi .