By Staff writer
The Center for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has proposed that government should introduce reforms that catalyze the growth of artisans and small-scale miners in the 2023 budget.
CTPD Senior Researcher (Extractives) Webby Banda said the center expects the Government to introduce a sector-specific taxation regime for the artisanal and small-scale mining sector.
Mr Banda said the introduction of artisan sector, will foster compliance by lowering the tax burden.
He said that the sector would mainly target at unlocking the business potential of large-scale mining players that pay corporate income tax.
Mr Banda said the government should not be hoodwinked in further redesigning the taxation regime to favor large-scale mining companies at the expense of the domestic revenue mobilization objective.
He said there is an agenda to change the operating mechanics to bring in more investment of the sliding scale mineral royalty.
He said the other instruments such as withholding tax, VAT, import, and export duty are equally important.
Mr Banda said the artisanal and small-scale mining sector should not be underplayed because it is a source of livelihood for many Zambians that cannot get white-collar jobs.
