COULD GOVT ADD THE ZERO RATED VAT LIST?

MBABANE – Measures to cushion consumers against the increasing inflation are well under way.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg in an interview with the Times of Swaziland SUNDAY yesterday.
“There are measures that are being worked on to reduce the impact of inflation on the poor. We will announce them at the appropriate time,” Rijkenberg said.

The publication had asked the minister what government was planning to do to cushion consumers following the increase of Value Added Tax (VAT) last year.

VAT increase

It was put to the minister that following a VAT increase in South Africa, we saw its government adding more items to the list of zero rated items.

Specifically, the minister was asked if government was considering adding chicken portions, sanitary pads and school uniform to the list of zero rated items.
In South Africa items which were recommended to be included in the zero rated list included white bread, bread flour and cake flour, sanitary products, school uniforms, and disposable nappies for babies and adults.
However, the final list excluded school uniform and nappies.

increment of tariffs

When coming into office, Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini suspended the increment of tariffs to lessen the burden on consumers at the height of the economic crisis. 
A tax expert, who commented on condition of anonymity, said Eswatini was left with no choice but to review the list of zero-rated items so that it would be easy for suppliers to declare.
The expert went on to say that the forced review would benefit the poor as the pool of zero rated basic commodities would be expanded.

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