Elinciya Witman & Blessing Nduku
Women bear the brunt of Zimbabwe’s heavy taxes amid economic inequalities, ZIMCODD stakeholders say, calling for gender-sensitive tax reforms after a stakeholder meeting in Gweru last week.
The event was themed ‘Making Tax Work For Women Campaign’, attracting various stakeholders, including the Gweru Mayor, Councillor Martin Chivhoko, and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, amongst others, to push for tax equity and public debt that is exacerbating Zimbabwe’s taxation system, further burdening women and hindering service delivery.
ZIMCODD head of programme, Mucha Midzi, stated that Zimbabwe’s fiscal environment is under pressure due to a debt challenge. she said the country’s debt stands at $23.4 billion, which is 80% of the GDP.
“We are making a recognition that Zimbabwe’s fiscal environment continues to be under intense pressure stemming from the debt challenge that we have as a country, where we are appreciating that our debt currently is sitting at 23.4 billion, which is something that is constituting 80 percent of the GDP of the country.”
She went on to say that debt and taxation are legitimate ways of government to finance public services, and their concern is how the funds are being handled
“Debt on its own is not a problem, tax on its own is not a problem, the problem lies in the manner in which the money is utilized because both tax and debt are legitimate ways of government to mobilize revenue that helps the public in financing development priorities but the challenge how resources are allocated to ensure the poorest or those that depends on the public service are benefiting from the public services are benefitting from the taxes that they are paying and how are we as citizens benefitting from the debt that the country in incurring on our behalf.”
Stakeholders complained about IMTT, income tax, and VAT, saying vulnerable populations, especially in the informal sector, often lack awareness of how to minimize tax burdens. They highlighted that ZIMRA’s pursuit of taxes and the City Council’s enforcement are putting pressure on these groups.
Ebenezer Women Entrepreneurship Trust Director, Florence Guzha, said that policy implementation needs to be monitored, saying that frameworks that are responsible for that need to be held accountable
“Most of the taxes, it is only a mother who really goes through the pain. We need to rise as women and make sure that there are laws, although we have good laws and frameworks that protect and enhance women’s status, but the implementation of these laws is not there. There is a large gap between laws and their implementation. Women must advocate for laws that hold responsible those people in positions of betterment of women’s welfare who are not working towards that goal.”
The stakeholders at the event emphasized that the current tax system disproportionately affects women, exacerbating economic inequalities. The event served as a platform for women to voice their concerns and push for policy changes that prioritize their economic empowerment.
The push for tax reform highlights the need for policymakers to prioritize women’s economic empowerment and address the country’s debt burden, ensuring a more equitable and sustainable future for Zimbabwe’s women and the nation as a whole.
