The Auditor General’s fears on mines and tax
Friday, January 27, 2023 | 160 Views |
Mine PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
The Department of Mines has not been sufficiently verifying whether the royalties and other dues paid by mining companies match their production and sales, meaning government has potentially been receiving less than it should from the economically critical sector, the Auditor-General has found.
A special audit into the Department of Mines’ efficiency in collecting revenues from the mining sector, found loopholes through which companies could be side-stepping their obligations to government.
It’s troubling, however, that those pursued by this craft busting agency and other security organs, are seemingly individuals who are supposed to be providing exemplary leadership. The alleged culprits are also mainly ex-Cabinet members associated with the previous ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) while others are former senior public officers. This whole development creates an appetite for the enforcement of the Declaration of Assets and...