Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has embarked on training Chinese business community on taxation laws and regulations to promote revenue collections among the mainly business community.
The country has observed an increased number of Chinese investors in various manufacturing industries dodging tax payment, leading to the loss of government revenues.
However, TRA Manager of Taxpayer Education Diana Masalla said the authority is conducting a seminar to ensure that foreign business men including Chinese comply with the country’s tax laws, though “Chinese nationals are among the best taxpayers in the country.”
“We aren’t saying Chinese businessmen are not paying tax, but this is our routine seminars to businessmen in breaking the communication barrier in tax payment system, apparently broadening the tax base,” she said.Mesalla said that the move follows discovery that language posed a major communication barrier between Chinese business community and TRA.
“Language is a big challenge to the them. They wouldn’t understand the rules and regulations surrounding our tax payment system, and that’s why we have introduced such seminars,” she said.
She was echoed by Managing Director of Jiteng Consultancy Limited, Andrew Huang, a Dar es Salaam-based Chinese entrepreneur who said that his compatriots failed to communicate with tax collectors mainly due to language barrier. “Some of us speak neither Swahili nor English, while the tax men don’t speak Chinese,” he said.
“Chinese businessmen have found themselves in trouble with tax collectors not because they are reluctant at paying, but rather because they are ignorant of taxation details,” he added.
Familiar with the Tanzania’s tax environment, Haung said he was actively engaged in waging awareness campaign in promoting tax collection among his people and act as a bond between TRA and his community.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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