adminREVELATIONS that most businesses in Harare Metropolitan Province are operating illegally should not be taken lightly.
A recent survey showed that 75 percent of businesses needed regulation and registration. The call comes after revelations showed they have been evading payment of taxes and rates. This requires tough action to clear the rot, which has been manifesting over the years.
The findings clearly show that we still have municipal chiefs and their subordinates sleeping on duty.
This has benefited some corrupt businesses and Council chiefs who are benefiting from this mess.
The rogue business operators need to be either closed, fined or regulated for defying city bylaws.
The same survey showed that the scam was rampant in Harare, Chitungwiza, Ruwa and Epworth. This scam exposes the rot, which has been allowed to manifest into this madness.
Harare Metropolitan Provincial Affairs and Devolution Secretary, Tafadzwa Muguti, has since expressed his dismay at the shocking statistics, which are totally unacceptable. Muguti strongly warned corrupt council bosses, who are protecting these people, that their days were numbered.
After the revelations, Muguti said it was now time for action to weed out these corrupt bosses. As expected, all businesses should contribute to the local and national economy.
And, Harare, being the capital city, it’s sad that such a large percentage of businesses have been operating illegally.
As a capital city, it paints a wrong picture when it’s established that only 25 percent of the registered businesses are religiously paying taxes.
The urban councils, which are known to have bloated workforce and ghost workers on their books, should deal with this cancer of businesses operating in the capital.
Unregistered businesses should never be allowed to operate.
Instead, shutting them down and effecting arrest are the only two solutions. Failure to take action is unfair to those who have been religiously paying taxes, after being regulated, by the authorities.
It has also emerged that we have inspectors taking bribes from unregistered businesses.
By doing so, inspectors end up turning a blind eye on the illegal businesses.
As sad as it may sound, those offering bribes should also be probed and brought to book.
This shameless conduct has also derailed the Government’s strategies in turning around the economy.
All businesses should contribute something to the Gross Domestic Product.
Regulation of business creates a conducive operating environment.
Playing cat and mouse with municipal police and inspectors should become a thing of the past.
This can only be attained once we tame these corrupt local authorities’ officials. The corrupt officials are known for their conduct but nothing has been done against them.
Some of them boast of powerful connections while others bribe their way out of this mess once caught offside.
With the capital city facing a myriad of challenges, quality service delivery will remain a pipe dream.
Now that the mess has been identified, it’s now time for action to ensure that all businesses play their part.
Online Reporter