Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
HH and GBM
Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has demanded for the immediate cancellation of the newly introduced tax on boreholes and ground water saying it will not in any way benefit the poor Zambians.
The opposition leader notes with displeasure the levels of what he terms more punitive taxes being imposed on the country by the Patriotic Front party leaders.
He says the newly introduced SI is shocking considering that people have lived for centuries especially in rural areas without being taxed for the use of ground water
Mr. Hichilema states that taxes being introduced by government are being done in bad faith further charging that the taxes are only channels aimed at swindling citizens through corruption and are meant to cripple the people who are already being overburdened with taxes.
He says government would have instead focused on ensuring that citizens are provided with safe drinking water regardless of the locality as now one cannot imagine a villager in Mbangomba, Kashinakazhi, Shangombo or indeed Kaputa being taxed in an exorbitant manner for using their borehole, groundwater, dam or indeed naturally flowing water.
Meanwhile the opposition leader has condemned the move by the government to demolish over 4, 000 houses belonging to the people in Chipata, Eastern Province, on grounds that they were built illegally.
The opposition leader charges that has become increasingly clear, that the PF government is only on a path of extorting citizens, not only through exorbitant taxes but also grabbing their only capital asset which is land.
he is therefore of the firm belief that the land in question belongs to the people and he has since appealed to traditional leaders across the country, to safeguard the land which currently may be the only asset which instills a sense of pride and freedom in Zambians.