TWO Chinese businessmen, Ma Jun and Huifang Ma, have been charged at the Ilala District Court in Dar es Salaam for evading tax through failure to use Electronic Fiscal Device (EFD) and failure to be registered with Value Added Tax (VAT).
However, the prosecution could not read over the charges against Jun because he was not present and there were reports that he was outside the country. The prosecution requested the court to issue an arrest warrant against him.
Before Senior Resident Magistrate Said Mkasiwa, Huifang Ma pleaded guilty to the first count of failure to use the EFD machines in his businesses, but denied involvement in respect of the second count for failure to register himself with VAT, as required by law.
The magistrate granted bail on the accused person with condition of securing two reliable sureties from recognised institutions.
Each surety, according to the magistrate, was to sign a bond of 3m/- each. Huifang Ma was also required to surrender all travelling documents in court. He failed to meet the bail conditions and was ordered to go to remand until April 21, when the case comes up for preliminary hearing. Investigations into the matter, according to the prosecution, have been completed.
A prosecutor from the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Mr Cherubin Chuwa, told the court that the accused persons, who operate their business along Narung’ombe Street at Kariakoo area in the city, jointly and together committed the offences on March 23, this year.
He alleged that the two Chinese who own HM Textile C. Limited situated on Plot No. 6, Block 54 along Aggrey Street at Kariakoo area, failed to use the EFD machines for issuing receipts to their customers who were buying curtains and other clothes from their shop. According to the prosecution, the accused persons made such transactions while knowing doing so was illegal.
It is further alleged by the prosecution that on the same day and place the accused persons failed to register themselves with VAT, while knowing that it was against the law.
EFDs are machines designed for use in business for efficient management controls in areas of sales analysis and stock control system and which conforms to the requirements specified by the laws.
There had been a tug of war among businessmen with the TRA on the use of the machines. However, TRA has warned that legal actions would be taken against businessmen who will be caught engaging in trade transactions without issuing receipts using the machines.
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