Debt relief extended by 30 days
MBABANE – Express interest for debt relief within 30 days! The Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg yesterday announced the extension of the tax debt relief programme by further 30 days for companies to apply for expression of interest.
The minister made the pronouncement through the Ministry of Finance Principal Secretary (PS) Sizakele Dlamini at the Eswatini Revenue Services (ERS) yesterday, in the presence of the Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule, Business Eswatini, Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC) and the Eswatini Commercial Amadoda.
The PS praised the business community for their collaboration in ensuring that 100 per cent compliance was attained by businesses. Dlamini said she was happy to learn of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that has been signed between the Eswatini Revenue Services and FESBC.
COMPLIANCE
She said it was geared towards improving compliance of all businesses in Eswatini.
Dlamini further disclosed that businesses can now apply or express their interest in the tax debt relief programme to qualify.
The programme follows the implementation of measures to assist businesses to comply after the effects of the COVID-19 period and the political unrest that disturbed businesses.
“This expression of interest was now extended to September 05, 2022,” said the PS.
She further pleaded with the FESBC and Commercial Amadoda to collaborate and visit the ministry so that issues of business can be deliberated.
RELIEF
Dlamini said such a relief was as a result of the ministry’s understanding of challenges faced by businesses.
Commissioner General of Eswatini Revenue Services Brightwell Nkambule also announced that they are working on digitisation of services.
Nkambule said they would be working with lots of data to ensure they reduced the cost of compliance.
He further announced that they were also working on ensuring that those who were collecting but not remitting VAT would comply.
REMIT
Nkambule further called upon all the companies to remit within the 30 days grace period to avoid penalties.
“We are aware that they are collecting but not remitting,” said Nkambule.
Meanwhile, FESBC President Tums Du Pont at the same gathering, thanked the minster for listening to their challenges with the taxation regime.
He said as businesses they were skeptical of the operations of the ERS because they seemed to be out to dig old debt.
He said the penalties that were also added were other issues that had made businesses to be skeptical about ERS.
UPLIFTING
“We are aware of members who do not care about ERS coming in their businesses to close because of the huge debts that are not uplifting businesses,” said Du Pont.
He further called for conducive ways of encouraging businesses to attain compliance after the effects of the COVID-19 on business.
One objective achieved-Business Eswatini
Business Eswatini Nathi Dlamini thanked the ERS and the ministry for listening to their plight as businesses of Eswatini.
Dlamini said he was grateful that the extension was attained immediately after the tax indaba where the issue of compliance was discussed.
He said when he approached the ERS they were able to honestly engage following the discussions they were all in attendance.
Dlamini said he could not wait to send a message of attaining one objective of the tax indaba to business people.
DISCUSSIONS
He further pleaded for more discussions on the issue of capital gains and other taxations that were a challenge to businesses.
Dlamini said he paid tax be-grudgingly but he was happy when he saw that it was paying for the elderly grants, scholarship for students and fixing of the roads.
Eswatini Commercial Amadoda Albert Mbuyisa, disclosed that their clients were struggling with the technology attached to paying tax on the cellphones.
He said their clientele were challenged by the technology that was now attached to dealing with the issues of tax.
Mbuyisa said ERS must be accessible to their members where they would have to teach and engage members to ensure compliance was attained.