LUSAKA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said on Tuesday that it intends to modernize its approach to tax collection through improving tax education.
Minister of Finance Felix Mutati said the government has realized that low levels of tax compliance were mainly due to poor quality of tax education.
The tax education program will focus on making people understand the value of paying taxes, he added.
The government, he said, has realized that tax education has a direct bearing on compliance as evidenced in South Africa which has a higher tax collection percentage compared to Zambia.
The Zambian minister was speaking when he toured the offices of the South African Revenue Service in Pretoria, according to a statement released by the Zambia embassy in that country.
The Zambian minister is on a two-day visit to South Africa where he is expected to meet various government departments and sign various agreements.
According to him, Zambia wanted to learn more from South Africa in the area of financing with interest in taxation.
The Zambian minister said he was impressed with the work of the South African revenue agency which collects revenues of up to 26 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to Zambia's 17 percent.
He added that the government was inspired by South Africa and would do everything possible to increase revenue collection.
Meanwhile, the Zambian minister called for enhanced trade opportunities between the two countries.
Speaking when he met with South Africa's Deputy Minister of Finance Sfiso Buthelezi, the Zambian minister said the two countries should use their political history to enhance economic and trade cooperation.
