…As govt waivers import duty for MPs’ vehicles
Emmanuel Chitsika
The Ministry of Finance and Economic development has imposed more woes on an already bleeding economy by fattening the benefits on parliamentarians through the recently-introduced US$ 60 000 maximum rebate for vehicle imports.
In a gazetted Statutory Instrument 80B of 2022 Customs and Excise (General) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022 (No 109) dated April 28, the Ministry introduced regulations meant to offer serving members of the current Parliament allowance to import a maximum of two vehicles with rebate on the second pegged to the tune of not more than US$ 60 000.
“By the repeal of subsection (3) and substitution of the following- A serving Member of Parliament shall be allowed to import not more than two vehicles under rebate in terms of this section within the life of the current Parliament.
“Provided that the maximum allowable value of the second motor vehicle under this rebate shall not exceed US$ 60 000,” read part of the Statutory Instrument.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Secretary General Japhet Moyo said in as much as labour would appreciate the role of parliamentarians, government should consider offering rebates to all workers in the country as they play an equally important role in serving the nation and desist from giving preferential treatment to members of parliament.
“If that is what government has decided, obviously our reaction as labour is that maybe government is trying to assist parliamentarians as they now allow them to import two vehicles but I think this is the status being given to our legislators but would not know why the issue of rebate is limited to MPs only. We still have a number of critical stakeholders in our society like civil servants who are serving the nation, why not the privilege extended to everyone working for the state.
“The parliament is serving the nation just as the people working in the civil service. There are people responsible for example for ensuring people get birth or death certificates, they are doing a lot as well and the rebates should be extended to them all. Why is it that parliamentarians are given a special treatment ahead of other workers? I don’t see any problem with MPs getting such privileges, but my concern is why it is not extended to every government worker,” argued Moyo.
Zimbabwe Revenue and Allied Trade Union (ZIMRATU) president Dominic Manyangadze said they find it very unfortunate that the ministry has made such an amendment allowing MPs when the workers with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) have not been granted permission after several applications for such a privilege were ignored.
“Regarding the amendement 109 made by the government, we find it very unfortunate that surely Members of Parliament are allowed to import two vehicles when ZIMRA workers and members of ZIMRATU have not been granted the permission as their applications for such have been rejected several times by the authority. We have done two papers petitioning the minister but it appears they have not taken heed to our call.
“MPs can now apply up to two vehicles worth US $120 000. It is regrettable and also demonstrates that workers of Zimbabwe are on their own because this is a significant indication that there is a lead convergence between government and parliament and also the ruling elite of this country. They do not even consider ZIMRA workers who offer the service when we know that there are several other organizations benefiting from the services they provide. No ZIMRA worker has benefited from rebates when teachers and or even doctors are benefiting. It is unfair that the request by ZIMRA workers is continuously denied when MPs and Senators are now benefiting from two schemes,” said Manyangadze.
He further called upon government and parliament to consider their plight.
“Surely our call as ZIMRATU is that parliament and the Ministry of Finance should seriously consider the call by ZIMRA workers by giving them duty maybe once every five years. The call has been made several times on several platforms. We also think that this will improve the motivation of staff within the authority and also reduce issues to do with corruption as a motivated workforce would be reluctant to engage in corrupt activities.
“That will also improve the lives of workers and instill a sense of importance in them. There is no doubt that ZIMRA employees are responsible for mobilizing almost 99 percent of the national revenues. Why would it be difficult for the ministry to sit down and come up with another Statutory Instrument (S I) that will focus on ZIMRA workers,” added Manyangadze.
Socio-economic activist with Youth Perspective Initiative Abel Sibanda said it is a worrisome development especially during a time when the generality of the population is struggling to make ends meet.
“The main challenge is that the cushioning of parliamentarians is done at a time when the ordinary people’s lives are getting worse and worse. This reflects the whole governance architect is to give comfortable lives to the few people who are running the state and not to the ordinary people. So any solution or adjustment that is done should consider the general public because everyone right now is struggling given the fact that an ordinary family needs something around ZW$ 65 000 to survive.
“There is desperate need to cushion ordinary people because their incomes are not matching the rate of inflation prevailing currently in the country,” said Sibanda.
The development comes at a time when government especially through the Ministry of Finance has been accused of ignoring the welfare of mostly civil service workers who continue to wallow in poverty as they earn wages below the Poverty Datum Line (PDL) with teachers being the most suffering group of them all.
Labour is also calling for the restoration of the workers’ dignity by provision of a decent salary.
