ZRA collects K27.7b in gross taxes in last six months

Kingsley Chanda

The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) says it has collected a total of K27.7 billion in gross taxes from 1st January to 30th June, 2018.

Addressing a media briefing in Lusaka, ZRA Commissioner General, Kingsley Chanda has said the authority made tax refunds amounting to K4.5 billion during the same period.

Mr. Chanda says this resulted in a net collection of K23.2billion which was K1.4 billion or 6.4 percent above target of K21.8 billion.

He says this performance was largely attributed to the strong outturn of domestic and import VAT during the period under review owing to the successful implementation of key administrative and policy measures.

And Mr. Chanda says ZRA in the first half of 2018 paid out K4.2 billion in VAT refunds.

He says of this amount, K20.50 billion or 60% was paid to the mining sector while K1.7 billion or 40% was paid to other sectors in the economy.

The ZRA Commissioner General adds that K2.4 billion of revenue was foregone in various customs duty exemptions during the period under review on account of various trade concessions of which K1.2 billion relates to trade protocols under SADC and COMESA.

Mr. Chanda has since expressed confidence in achieving the targeted revenue collection for the year 2018.

Meanwhile Mr Chanda says the authority recorded a total of 2,912 interceptions during the period under review with a value of over K845 million.