ZIMBABWEAN journalists have been urged to lobby government for duty-free vehicle imports to enable them to effectively discharge their duties as essential service providers.
The call was made by a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) official at a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra)-organised media workshop in Masvingo on Tuesday.
"You may, through your unions like the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists lobby the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development when they prepare their budgets to make that consideration,” said Melisa Tshuma, the UNDP coordinator for tax on strategic development goals.
“Journalists move from place to place gathering information about the population which by all means is an important role. Considerations for duty-free vehicle imports are possible,” he said.
Tshuma was reacting to a question by a journalist who asked Customs and Excise officials why there were motor vehicle rebates for civil servants and parliamentarians yet the same facility was not extended to journalists despite their key role in society.
“This suggestion has been made at a number of workshops we have held and it would be proper if the unions make representations," he added .
The UNDP has partnered the Zimra to train journalists on tax education and more than 30 journalists drawn from different media houses in southern Zimbabwe. The workshop is part of Zimra’s efforts to create synergies with the media.
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