ZIMRA revenue up but still below target

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, which is the main source of government funding, increased its revenue collection by nearly 11 percent in the second quarter ending June but it failed to meet its target of $893 million.

ZIMRA raised $867 million but this was an improvement on the first quarter when it failed to meet the target by nine percent. This time it was only three percent below target.

According to The Herald, ZIMRA acting commission general Happias Kuzvinzwa said the better performance was due to improved operational efficiency especially in the fight against corruption and enhanced enforcement efforts.

Kuzvinzwa said that real-time connection of fiscal gadgets by the national revenue collector was making it increasingly difficult for the taxpayers to defraud government through value added tax fraud.

“There has, thus, been an improvement in compliance levels, declaration of correct returns and payment of revenue” he said.

ZIMRA had also enhanced its enforcement strategies to curb transit fraud. The revenue authority seized three fuel tankers in Karoi after the drivers offloaded fuel declared as being in transit to Zambia and filled the tankers with water.

The government is currently struggling to pay civil servants on time because of a shortage of revenue.

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