NamRa: Kavango regions owe taxman N$260m

A total of 11 236 stakeholders from the two Kavango regions owe the state over N$260 million in taxes, which excludes interest and penalties.This was revealed by the Namibia Revenue Agency’s (NamRa) north-eastern regional manager, Petra Haingura, during a stakeholder meeting in Rundu last Thursday.She said income tax defaulters owe the state over N$99 million, while the state is owed over N$86 million in value-added tax (VAT).As for employee tax and import tax, the state is owed N$35 million and N$39 million respectively.Despite income tax topping this list, Haingura pointed out that it is very concerning that stakeholders - particularly those the business community – are not paying VAT.“We can see what the largest debt contributor is [income tax], however VAT is more of a concern,” she said.“Many of us know that VAT is an indirect tax that is charged on consumption. Many times, especially those who take part in public tenders, do not return that money once it is paid, hence that debt book.”Meanwhile, Haingura indicated that for the 2022/2023 financial year, NamRa is tasked to collect N$366 million in the two Kavango regions. For the first quarter, they were only able to collect N$87 million, which represents 23.7% of their target.“That is why we are here, to give you information. Now that you have received this information, you will appreciate and come on board to assist to get to where we need to,” she said.Sustaining the economyAlso speaking at the event was NamRa commissioner Sam Shivute, who highlighted the importance of paying tax. He said the revenue collected is used to sustain the economy of the country.“Every day we wake up, our commitment is to serve the Namibian people. The money that is collected is what is used to pay for medication in hospital; it is what is used to pay the salaries of teachers; it is what is used to pay the salaries of our politicians and what is used to pay for the equipment and resources for men and women in uniform,” he said.Shivute added that NamRa hopes to transform the manner in which tax is collected in the country to avoid stakeholders getting away with defaulting.He stressed that the agency has managed to identify loopholes.“We have developed a compliance and enforcement strategy and we are building that capacity to ensure that we will do what needs to be done so that Namibia gets a fair share of taxes.”kenya@namibiansun.com

NamRa: Kavango regions owe taxman N$260m

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-16

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NamRa: Kavango regions owe taxman N$260m

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-16

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