Africa > Southern Africa > Zimbabwe > Zimbabwe’s ad hoc tax reprieve: A “missed opportunity”

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe’s ad hoc tax reprieve: A “missed opportunity”

2013/10/23

Zimbabwe, unlike other governments, has granted a tax reprieve for the tourism industry to enable the sector to “retool.” The reprieve, according to Tourism Update, allows the industry to import business-free capital goods for hotels and restaurants and boating equipment and motor vehicles for the safari industry.

Zimbabwean Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi told local newspapers that the tax reprieve was put in place to help revive the tourism sector “The reprieve is government’s own capital contribution for the revival of the tourism sector,” Mzembi was quoted as saying.

Zimbabwe Council for Tourism president Emmanuel Fundira told Tourism Update the measure was a good idea and positive news for most operators but warned that its success largely depended on implementation.

Fundira, who as well serves as the vice chairman of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, called for a permanent incentive rather than “ad hoc solutions.” He told Tourism Update that “most operators missed the opportunity to take chance of the reprieve due to timing issues and lack of suitable funding methods.”

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