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Tawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI
Sugarcane farmers in Chiredzi have been urged to pay tax to avoid their accounts being garnished by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. Addressing guests at the OPEC Fund for International Development Workshop here yesterday, Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development Secretary Dr Evelyn Ndlovu said Government was frustrated by sugarcane farmers who run unregistered business operations.

She said Government will no longer sympathise with them when ZIMRA garnishes their accounts, as they were afforded ample time to correct their books.

“I am not pleased with your habit of boycotting paying taxes,” said Dr Ndlovu.

“Government gave you these plantations for free, but you can’t honour by just paying taxes.”

Dr Ndlovu said her ministry would not continue intermediating for the farmers.

“You must take my word seriously because innocent Zimbabweans are suffering as clinics are experiencing shortages of medicines just because a farmer in Chiredzi is boycotting tax payment,” she said.

Dr Ndlovu said Government sent teams from Zimra to train farmers on bookkeeping, but others were still operating without proper records.

“Farming is a business,” she said.

“It must be registered properly and be operated professionally. We asked Zimra to train you on proper bookkeeping, but it seems some of you are still struggling to follow set requirements.

“A government requires money and we need money coming from you into the Treasury.”

Zimra has been garnishing farmers’ accounts for the past four years in a bid to recover millions of uncollected tax from farmers in Chiredzi.

Some farmers are now reportedly harvesting their sugarcane and selling under accounts of colleagues without arrears as they try to avoid the garnish orders.