بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
News & Comment
Budget to Further Strangling Citizens
News
Tanzania and international media outlets reported on the National Budget which its main focus are on infrastructure, curbing tax evasion and industrializing the economy. The Finance Minister Dr. Philip Mpango in his budget tabling announced government plans to increase revenue, curb leakages of government resources, control expenditure and enforce public procurement legislation.
Comment
Capitalist budget tabled in democratic parliaments has nothing to offer to general public since based on failed principles that wouldn't realize citizens’ optimism.
By imposing Tsh 40 levy on petroleum products will increase costs in many services and commodities especial in transportation industry.
Furthermore, introduction of government e-payment gateway system introduced for collecting tax meant to maximize tax collections which would obviously destabilizing and strangling economic activities and imposing the burdens to the consumers.
On the other hand while the budget squeezing ordinary citizens, it is in favour of the so called investors, by reducing taxes from 30 percent to 10 as one of incentives. It is clear as daylight that developing government's measures are to serve colonial masters instead of their own people, since foreign investment is nothing other than neo colonialism.
Not to mention an open shame, Dr. Mpango announcement that the government will receive 1% of value of minerals as clearing fee.
Indeed the capitalist economy imposed on Tanzania and elsewhere in the developing world benefits and serves colonial masters, local political tycoons, their henchmen, families and will never serve citizens’ welfare.
The only just economic system is Islamic one that was implemented under Khilafah state. Through it the world would flourish again and will be rescued from oppression and misery of capitalist economy that rely up to 90 percent of its revenue from oppressive taxation. Islam forbids tax collections unless absolutely necessary from those who are financially able.
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:
«لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ صَاحِبُ مَكْسٍ»
“The tax collector will not enter Heaven” (Ahmad).
Instead the Khilafah (Caliphate) has its own unique sources of revenues far from robbing poor citizens and strangling economic activities.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Ramadhan Said Njera
Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Tanzania