Unguja, Zanzibar:
Rais wa Zanzibar, Dk Hussein Mwinyi amewaonya baadhi ya watendaji wa Bodi ya Mapato Zanzibar (ZRB) wanaotumia nguvu kubwa kukusanya kodi kwa wafanyabiashara akiwataka waache tabia hiyo.
Dk Mwinyi ametoa kauli hiyo leo Alhamisi Desemba 29, 2022 wakati wa sherehe za kilele cha shukrani na furaha kwa mlipa kodi mwaka 2021/22 kilichofanyika hoteli ya Golden Tulip Unguja sambamba na kutoa tuzo 41 kwa wafanyabiashara bora katika masuala ya kodi.
“Zipo taarifa baadhi ya watendaji wanatumia nguvu kubwa kukusanya kodi, nawataka waache mara moja. Wafanya biashara wanatakiwa kulipa kodi stahiki na wananchi kudai risiti kwa maendeleo ya taifa,” amesema
Hata hivyo, ametumia fursa hiyo kuipongeza bodi hiyo na kueleza anavyoridhishwa na ukusanyaji wake wa mapato tofauti na ilivyokuwa kipindi kilichopita.
“Tusiwe tu wa kukosoa wakati wote, miezi kadhaa nilieleza wazi kutoridhishwa na mwenendo wa ZRB, lakini leo nasimama hadharani kusema kwamba ninaridhishwa sana na ukusanyaji wa kodi na hatua mnazozichukua, hongereni sana,” amesema Dk Mwinyi
Amesema kwa kipindi cha Julai hadi Novemba mwaka huu, bodi hiyo ilipangiwa kukusanya Sh238 bilioni, lakini imekusanya Sh236. 3 bilioni sawa na asilimia 99.1 ambalo ni ongezeko la asilimia 67.9 ikilinganishwa na makusanyo ya Sh141 bilioni kwa kipindi kama hicho mwaka uliopita.
Amesema mwelekeo wanaokwenda nao kama taifa ni mzuri ambao utawezesha kufikia malengo yaliyowekwa kwenye ilani ya CCM ya kukusanya Sh1.5 trilioni ifikapo mwaka 2025, “Nikupongeza kamishna (Juma Yussuf Mwenda) tokea ushike madaraka unafanya kazi vizuri.”
Mwenda alianza kazi ZRB Machi 2022 baada ya Rais Mwinyi kutengua uteuzi wa Salum Yussuf Ali.
Naye Kamishna Mwenda amesema mafanikio hayo yamefikiwa kutokana na sbabu kadhaa ikiwa ni pamoja na kukua kwa uchumi, muamko wa wafanyabiashara kulipa kodi na usimamizi mzuri.
“Tumetoa elimu kwa walipa kodi 442 na kuzifikia biashara 456, lakini zaidi tumetoa msaada kwa kaya zisijojiweza 580 na vifaa tiba katika hospitali za Mnazimmoja na Abdallah Mzee Pemba,” amesema
Waziri wa Ofisi ya Rais, Fedha na Mipango Dk Saada Mkuya, amesema wamefanya maboresho kadhaa ikiwa ni pamoja nay a kiutendaji.
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Britam half-year net profit hits Sh2bn on higher investment income
Insurer and financial services provider Britam posted a 22.5 percent jump in net earnings for the half-year ended June 2024, to Sh2 billion, buoyed by increased investment income.
The rise in half-year net profit from Sh1.64 billion posted in a similar period last year came on the back of net investment income rising 2.5 times to Sh13.27 billion from Sh5.3 billion.
“We are confident in the growth and performance trend that Britam has achieved, supported by its subsidiaries in Kenya and the region. Our business is expanding its revenue base while effectively managing costs,” Britam Chief Executive Officer Tom Gitogo said.
“Our customer-centric approach is fueling growth in our customer base and product uptake, particularly through micro-insurance, partnerships, and digital channels.”
The investment income growth was fueled by interest and dividend income rising 34 percent to Sh9.1 billion, which the insurer attributed to growth in revenue and the gains from the realignment of the group’s investment portfolio.
Britam also booked a Sh3.79 billion gain on financial assets at a fair value, compared with a Sh1.8 billion loss posted in a similar period last year.
The increased investment income helped offset the 12.7 percent decline in net insurance service result to Sh2.13 billion in the wake of claims paid out rising at a faster pace than that of premiums received.
Britam said insurance revenue, which is money from written premiums, increased to Sh17.8 billion from Sh16.6 billion, primarily driven by growth in the Kenya insurance business and regional general insurance businesses, which contributed 30 percent of the revenue.
The group has a presence in seven countries in Africa namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Mozambique, and Malawi.
Britam’s insurance service expense hit Sh13.6 billion from Sh11.3 billion, while net insurance finance expenses rose 2.6 times to Sh12.3 billion during the same period.
“Net insurance finance expenses increased mainly due to growth in interest cost for the deposit administration business driven by better investment performance. This has also been impacted by a decline in the yield curve, which has led to an increase in the insurance contract liabilities. The increase has been offset by a matching increase in fair value gain on assets,” said Britam.
Britam’s growth in profit is in line with that of other Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed insurers, which have seen a rise in profits.
Jubilee Holdings net profit in the six months increased by 22.7 percent to Sh2.5 billion on increased income from insurance, helping the insurer maintain Sh2 per share interim dividend.
CIC Insurance Group posted a 0.64 percent rise in net profit to Sh709.99 million in the same period as net earnings of Liberty Kenya nearly tripled to Sh632 million from Sh213 million, while Sanlam Kenya emerged from a loss to post a Sh282.2 million net profit.
