Zim tourism tax reprieve – an ‘ad hoc solution’

via Zim tourism tax reprieve – an ‘ad hoc solution’ by Dorine Reinstein for TourismUpdate 23 Wed, Oct 2013

The Zimbabwe government recently announced that it was extending a tax reprieve for the tourism industry to enable the sector to retool. The reprieve allows the industry to import duty-free capital goods for hotels and restaurants and boating equipment and motor vehicles for the safari industry. Tourism industry players have called it an ad hoc solution and that a more permanent incentive is needed.

Tourism Minister, Walter Mzembi, said it would help revive the tourism sector and was quoted in local newspapers as saying: “The reprieve is government’s own capital contribution for the revival of the tourism sector.”

Emmanuel Fundira, President of the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism and Vice Chairman of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, told Tourism Update the measure was a good idea and positive news for most operators but warned that its success largely depended on implementation.

Fundira added that the ideal solution would be to provide a permanent incentive rather than ad hoc solutions. He said most operators missed the opportunity to take advantage of the reprieve due to timing issues and lack of suitable funding methods.

 

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