Times Of Swaziland: SRA CALLS FOR SUPPORT  FROM POLICYMAKERS

SRA CALLS FOR SUPPORT  FROM POLICYMAKERS
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BY NTOMBI MHLONGO on 10/12/2018 08:49:00


MBABANE – After being ‘roasted’ by legislators last week, Eswatini Revenue
Authority (SRA) has said it needed guidance and support from policymakers.
During a workshop for senators and Cabinet ministers held at the Happy Valley
Hotel last Wednesday, the parastatal received strong criticism on how it
conducted its duties. One of the issues raised was that SRA taxed people to the
bone and did so until they died as it also demanded a share from pensions. The
legislators said they did not understand why their sitting allowances, which are
E350 per sitting, were taxed. Furthermore, the legislators said the existing tax
laws had led to a situation where emaSwati found themselves having to think
twice before they considered opening businesses. The parastatal has come out to
state that it was but an administrator of policy.
Mandate
Interviewed on Friday, SRA Manager Customer Service Riccardo Kruger said the
mandate of the parastatal was to administer the country’s tax laws as well as
provide expert advice to government with respect to issues of taxation. “The
SRA does not promulgate any law, neither does it have any powers to change any
aspect of the law. The SRA, in essence, is incomplete without the support and
guidance of policy makers as the country’s legislators,” he said. Explaining
further, he mentioned that all legislation were primarily for purposes of
guiding and maintaining order in the country’s social, political and economic
environment. He said it was for that purpose that all legislation had to be
thoroughly interrogated and debated prior to being endorsed as law as the final
product becomes critical for the development of the country.
“Furthermore it is critical that there is clear segregation of duty among the
various role players to mitigate any conflict of interest as well as to ensure
optimal accountability. For example, the ultimate administrators of any law
would participate less during the development phases, often only providing
technical advice, and it would be legislators who would take the lead in
crafting the law and ensuring that the resultant law will be as effective as
possible. It is therefore very important that there is harmony and cooperation
among the various role players,” he said. Following that there was not enough
time, the legislators were informed that they would get another opportunity of
meeting the parastatal for further engagement.