via Vic Falls to tax tourists, raise rates in supplementary budget | The Source June 3, 2014
Victoria Falls municipality will announce a supplementary budget on this month and levy charges on tourists to the resort town to raise funds to repay a government loan, an official has said.
Council owes the government about $4 million for refurbishing its infrastructure when it hosted the World Tourism Organisation’s 20th General Assembly last year. It also owes the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) its pension fund and other utilities over $6 million.
The council had originally approved a $9 million budget for 2014.
“The supplementary budget is going to see some major increases in rates and service for the industry,” town clerk Christopher Dube told The Source.
“We owe the government $4 million which we got as a loan to rehabilitate infrastructure… We are failing to repay that loan.”
Dube also said the municipality will go ahead and introduce a tourism tax — a dollar for every foreign visitor to the resort town — despite opposition from tour operators.
“We are going ahead with the project. We need to raise revenue from somewhere,” he said.
COMMENTS
Iwe Dube ,wake up. That was ZANU project, they must pay for it.ZANU has not payed its creditors, why should you? ZANU owes the world 10 billion which it thinks Zimbabwean s will pay and they want to borrow more,we will not pay. Who ever gives them money,its their problem and ZANU ,not Zimbos.
the theiving scumbags do not think like that they know it was their project where they can siphon money they will do it
There seems to be opposition of the introduction of the tax from the Tour Operators- so if they go ahead with the tax- the tour operators (if they are international, will find somewhere else to market . There are plenty places where one can go
Just another scheme to drive away investors and tourists alike
EASY COME, EASY GO!
The tourists pay enough already. Zambia will be happy as they are going to be the only ones who will benefit from this.
What a boost for Livingstone!
Why is it that we the taxpayer has to cover someone else debt.These govt and council officials run up these debts( a lot of it going into their own pocket)then expect someone else to repay it..
Wakey Wakey Dube
Typical ZANU mentality less tourists so charge the few remaining more. Soon when they only have one visitor a year to the falls they will attempt to charge him/her USD 1 million to view the falls. The monkeys in the park have more brains
What a shame. A colleague recently visited Zim for the first time, enjoyed most of what she and her husband experienced EXCEPT feeling ripped off by tourist charges and taxes, mostly not pre notified to them until they were at the destination. She said they will not go back, or encourage friends to.
Everything they get their hands on falls apart. Look at agriculture, mines, ZBC, & now tourism.How long are we going to let these FOOLS control our resources & our future?
ahhhhhh Tourism will drop tourists will just go to Zambia. and there are many other places in the world
ZANU PF ———– TYPICAL FOOLS
Just got a quote and cancelled on the bizar taxes. Can go to much nicer places for much cheaper. Will wait for next more stable government before I take my kids. Good luck to you all