Let’s take responsibility

fiscus. No matter how much it will cost to hold the referendum and the subsequent elections, this constitutional process has to go on until the most important basic law is on the statute book.

The money to finance this noble process has to be found from within or outside from donors or friendly governments. For the past 32 years of independence, the country did not have its own home grown constitution. We should be proud that the one person one vote, that was the outcry for the fight for independence has finally been fulfilled.

The referendum must be held not for the sake of pleasing the Western powers that imposed sanctions but for the fact that, we are now witnessing the building of an independent Zimbabwe. Whatever amendments to the constitution that may come later, we will be amending our own constitution.

The way forward now, after the completion of the constitutional process is to take responsibility for all our actions in the building of a peaceful democratic country, we should be proud of. The institutions that are going to be set up under the new constitution require financial resources to be implemented.

There is a very bad culture in the country where people do not understand that whatever services that are to be provided, they must be paid for by all of us. This payment may come in the form of cash paid in taxes, whether from direct taxation or indirect taxation. There has been a tendency of tax avoidance on income not declared to the tax authorities.

Some of this income is from renting properties either for domestic accommodation or for commercial use. Another form of taxation is that of paying rates and water to local authorities. On many occasions, local authorities have published vast sums of money, running into millions of dollars that is being owed to councils by individuals and commercial concerns.

How then can institutions that are going to be set up under the new constitution going to be financed if monies owed to these local authorities and Zimra are not paid in time? It is very disturbing that the politicians are silent on the question of non-payment of taxes and other obligations, either to the local authorities or to Zesa.

Is it because, they themselves are not up to date with their payments? The way ahead is not going to be a child’s play without the people of this country committing themselves to undertaking responsibility to fund the institutions that have been created. A case in point is the provision of water either in the cities and towns or in rural communities and farms. If water is not adequately provided for, there cannot be any sustainable economic development. The same goes for the provision of electricity either for domestic use or for industrial use. Zesa is owed millions of dollars of unpaid bills by consumers.

Without adequate power generation, there can never be any economic development. Once again, the politicians are silent about honouring the payment of Zesa bills. Sometime back, there was an outcry when the names of those that owed Zesa lots of money in unpaid bills were published. Surely, it should not be a national secret or a security threat if those with outstanding electricity bills were disconnected.

How do we build a country if people do not take responsibility for their actions?
Revenue that Government relies on to function has to come from all economic activity in the country. There are no longer grants from western countries to help us to balance the budget. It is now left to every individual and business concern to see to it that taxes have to be paid.

There has been a major change in many countries on how taxation is structured. It has been reported by experts that salary and company taxation should be reduced to below 30 percent. What should go up is indirect taxation such as vat. When the rate of taxation is lower, more people honour their obligations to pay tax. When tax rates are higher, there is a tendency to cheat on taxes.

Another aspect of taxation is where vehicles of whatever kind are required to be insured and licensed.
Police are on the roads this month targeting motorists that have not licensed their vehicles or even insured them. By insuring the vehicle population, insurance companies would collect a lot of money that will find its way into banks and further loaned to industry.

In licensing the vehicles, Zinara will get money to repair our road network. If enough revenue flows into the ministry of finance, there will be enough money to pay civil servants better salaries and to meet government expenditure for provision of other services.

The way ahead should see politicians and the civic organisations combining forces to promote the culture of responsibility among the population to meet their financial and social obligations to the state.

The general apathy and defiance to take any responsibility has pervaded the general population.
Even if the country produces a wonderful Constitution, it is up to the people to see to it that it works by funding the institutions set up and creating wealth that can be taxed. Unless we take responsibility to pay for the development of a modern state, independence will just be in name only.