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Wealth tax debate reignites as BURS targets P48bn

Aiming higher: The BURS is tightening its tax collections PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Aiming higher: The BURS is tightening its tax collections PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO

The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) is expected to rake in P47.5 billion in various taxes in the 2022-2023 financial year, a revelation that comes as legislators call for authorities to shift the tax burden from low-income Batswana to the wealthy.

The tax target for the upcoming financial year is compared to the P42 billion the BURS was charged with collecting in the 2021-2022 financial year. By December, the tax agency had raked in P38.5 billion, setting it on course to reach the target.

Finance ministry documents indicate that of the total taxes due in the upcoming financial year, P8.5 billion are classified as assessed income taxes, which include the taxes filed by individuals and companies through tax returns. Value Added Tax is expected to increase to P11.2 billion in the upcoming financial year, compared to P10.8 billion in 2021-2022.

Editor's Comment
Micro-procurement maze demands urgent reform

Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...

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