Unregistered healers safe from tax collectors

LOBAMBA – Healers who are not registered in law will be exempted from paying value added taxes (VAT) , following an amendment to the VAT (Amendment Bill).

The Bill was discussed in the House of Assembly before going to Senate.

When it was read by the Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg yesterday upon its return from Senate, there was a debate in the clause that made some people exempt from paying taxes.

Senate had made changes to only two clauses, one of which was the list of those who were exempt from taxes.

the PM to discuss it with journalists while MPs were waiting for answers.

He said the manner in which it had been handled was also undermining the Constitution.

“This is a country that has a constitution. You can’t just call a press conference and pride yourself as having dealt with the matter, while leaving MPs in the dark. At the end of the day, we get calls from the very journalists asking us to comment on these issues that we have no

Apart from the heads of State, it was also made clear that diplomats were also exempt.

Minister Rijkenberg said the Senators had merely altered the qualified medical practitioners with a new interpretation, which now clarified that reference is not only made to hospitals.

He explained that the qualified medical practitioners means the healer, physician, general practitioner, nurse, veterinary specialist, optometrist and other related disciplines.

When the MPs asked about the healer, it was clarified that one must be registered.

knowledge on,” he said.

Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane and several others intended to speak on the issue, but the Speaker closed the debate and said he would work on the issue and give them feedback.

“The way I understand this issue is that MP Marwick is sending me to go and attend to it. I will do so and revert to you. I see no reason to continue debating it because it is an assignment given to the office of the Speaker,” he said.