Tech

Zambia signs agreement with Gambia to block revenue leakages using technology

Published

10 months ago

February 16, 2024

Zambia has sealed an agreement with Gambia which will enable the two countries seal revenue leakages in all tax types, including the Value Added Tax which has proved to be a challenge on the African continent.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Lusaka on Thursday between officials of the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA).

ZRA Commissioner-General, Dingani Banda who signed on behalf of the eastern African country, said the MoU was necessary as there was a need to leverage on technology in tax administration to mitigate revenue leakages.

“We need to believe that we can provide solutions to our problems and fortunately we are living in a time where technology is available to us, the same technology that is available in developed countries,” Banda said.

“There is now a huge opportunity for us to leverage on the knowledge in terms of skills that the market provides, the technology available to us and develop solutions that will address our problems.”

The ZRA boss further noted that the MoU was the manifestation of the South to South cooperation for enhanced domestic revenue collection as the anchor for development and poverty alleviation on the African continent.

On his part, the GRA Commissioner-General, Yankuba Darboe, said African countries were at a level where they needed to work hard in terms of mobilising the needed revenue for their governments.

Darboe said he was confident that enhanced revenue collection will assist African countries not to rely on external sources to have revenue for development for their countries.

“I believe that we can get there, if only we try to change the way of our operations in terms of using the manual systems of collecting revenue but rather we try to digitalise our systems. This is going to close up all the leakages that are within the systems, we have to level up.

“The reason why we are collecting a certain amount of revenue of our country is that we have not gone full digitalisation. The way we are going is the way forward.

“Once we are able to digitalise, most of our operation, you will realise that the leakages will be minimum and finally more collection of revenue of our countries,” he added.

Related Topics:Agreement Featured Gambia MOU Zambia

Click to comment

Tech

DR Congo sues tech giant Apple over illegal mineral exploitation

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has filed a criminal case against the European subsidiaries of tech giant, Apple, accusing them of illegal mineral exploitation and allegedly using “blood minerals” in its supply chain.

In the suit filed on Tuesday, the DRC alleges that Apple has bought contraband supplies from the country’s conflict-ladden east and Rwanda, zones in which it allege the materials are mined illegally and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices.

The DRC suit specifically mentioned Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech giant of using conflict minerals in its supply chain.

The DRC is a major source of tin, tantalum, and tungsten which are used in electronic devices, with some mines controlled by armed groups responsible for human rights violations.

International lawyers representing the African country’s government have accused Apple’s local subsidiaries of taking these minerals from conflict areas and laundering them through international supply chains, with one lawyer telling journalists that Belgium had a moral duty to act given its history of exploiting the country’s resources under colonial rule.

However, in its response, Apple claims it conducts supplier audits and does not directly source primary minerals.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1262670-dr-congo-sues-apple-over-alleged-illegal-mineral-exploitation

Tech

Moroccan retail-tech startup Z raises $1.5m to drive intense growth

Published

3 days ago

December 15, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Morocco-based B2B retail-tech marketplace, ZSystems, has announced closing a $1.5 million seed funding round which will see it carry out its ambitious expansion dreams.

In a statement by co-founder and CEO, Meriem Benabad, the funding round was led by Morocco-based Venture Capital firms, MNF Ventures (through its MNF II fund), Witamax (through Fund II and III), Cash Plus Ventures, and Kalys Ventures.

“This funding marks a pivotal moment for Z, as we aim to scale operations and bring cutting-edge solutions to traditional retail.

“Our vision is to empower small businesses and unlock growth across Morocco and Africa,” Benabad said.

According to Benabad, the newly acquired capital will support Z’s technology development, product catalogue expansion, and preparation for its next growth phase.

“Z is reshaping the retail landscape by integrating technology and innovation across the value chain. Its scalable platform empowers traditional retailers and brands with direct access to consumers, reviving competitiveness in traditional trade (hanouts), which accounts for 85% of the FMCG market,” he added.

Founded in 2022 by the trio of Benabad, Samer Choumar and Youssef Ait-Haddouch, Z’s platform empowers traditional retailers and brands with direct access to consumers, reviving competitiveness in traditional trade (hanouts), which accounts for 85% of the FMCG market.

Since launch, the startup has helped over 15,000 active retailers, and seen more than 800,000 orders placed.