Swazi Customs gets a dubbing

MBABANE – Swaziland’s
parliament is on the war
path against taxes, customs
payments and failed
government financial delivery.
This week MPs demanded
the resignation of finance
minister Martin Dlamini on
the grounds that money is
no longer available for public
service projects despite everincreasing
taxes.
Regarding taxes, MPs are
furious with the Swaziland
Revenue Authority (SRA)
and have grilled officials
over their failure to strike
deals with importers
for deferred payment of
customs duties. Some firms
have gone out of business
because their goods have
been confiscated by the SRA
when duties went unpaid.
MPs find such business
closures counterproductive to
government’s desire for more
tax revenue, which in the long
term can only be obtained
from functioning businesses.