Mzembi complains that tourism tax is too high as operators receive tax bills upwards of $4 million

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Dr Walter Mzembi says he will engage the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to negotiate for a downward review of the taxation system for the tourism sector after he received complaints from a number of tourism operators who have been receiving annual tax bills in excess of $4 million, which he said was “killing the sector.”

Speaking on the sidelines of a presentation he made to the Zimbabwe National Defence College yesterday Mzembi said,

If we do not conceive sound taxation policies for the sector we could tax the sector to death. I have been receiving complaints from operators in the sector, with some saying they have been receiving tax bills upwards of $4 million. We do not want to be that desperate. I am going to be meeting with the acting Minister of Finance (Walter Chidhakwa) to discuss this very issue.

Minister Mzembi has said the tax was “unilaterally” implemented without an effective cost-benefit-and-opportunity- cost analysis being carried out.

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