The Chronicle
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is implementing an integrity management strategy to buttress its anti-corruption fight amid calls for every stakeholder to play part in weeding out the vice.
The tax authority held a breakfast meeting in Victoria Falls on Wednesday with various stakeholders including tourism industry players under its #I’mForZero corruption campaign”, which started in March this year.
The initiative is being taken across the country through rallying citizens and entities to invest in anti-corruption activities.
Zimra, which is mandated to collect revenue, also facilitates trade and travel, protects civil society and advises the Government on fiscal and economic matters.
Zimra Commissioner General, Ms Regina Chinamasa, said embracing integrity was non-negotiable, stating that corruption causes poverty as it diverts resources away from poor people to unscrupulous individuals.
“We seek to achieve a win-win situation for both Zimra and you, our stakeholders in the fight against corruption,” she said.
“We have extended this invitation to you because we are convinced that your support and interventions are key in the fight against corruption in Zimbabwe, specifically tax and duty related corruption.”
The engagement comes as Zimra has intensified strategies to fight corruption head-on. As such, Ms Chinamasa appealed to stakeholders to report corruption through the use of the whistle blower facilities and other information exchange platforms.
She said tax evasion, tax fraud, smuggling, under declaration are the major corrupt activities, which can be addressed by promoting integrity, compliance and timely accurate declaration towards a prosperous Zimbabwe.
She said eradicating corruption is a collective feat given its retrogressive impact on the economy and region.
Over the years Zimra has been on the forefront of fighting corruption within its internal and external stakeholders.
Zimra has also committed to ensuring that Zimbabwe is not a destination for smuggled goods. Zimra is a member of the World Customs Organisation, which adopted the Arusha Declaration in 1993 with main emphasis on prevention of corruption and increasing levels of integrity within the customs administration.
Zimbabwe ratified the African Union Convention on preventing and combating corruption in 2006 and the first internationally binding instrument on anti-corruption United Nations Convention Against Corruption in 2007.
Buoyed by these national and international commitments, Ms Chinamasa said Zimra is complementing the efforts with the integrity management strategy, which feeds into the country’s national development agenda.
Corruption and tax evasion are one of the biggest non-tariff barriers that make local products less competitive on the international market and erode investor confidence.
Article Source: The Chronicle