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Write to: The Editor, Arusha Times, P.O. Box 212, Arusha. E-mail: arushatimes@habari.co.tz
Tanzania’s High Commission website: Shame and scandalDear Editor This week I managed to browse the official website of the Tanzania High Commission - London on "Tanzania Duties and Double Taxation System". As A Tanzanian at heart, I must say that what I saw there was shameful. In case you are equally a Tanzanian at heart I invite you to share that shame by reading the following extract of part of the materials contained on that page: (Spelling mistakes, typos and errors are as found on the website) "WITHHOLDING TAX Withholding Tax are applied to No-Residents at a rate ranging from 15-30% for Management/Professional, Royalties, rental incom, Divident, Interest Income and Pension Annuity. Residents rates are ranging from 15% to 7% from Divident, Interest Income, Rental Income and Insurance Commission. Goods and Services are charged at a flat rate of 2%. Depreciation is computes at a straight line basis following Classes. Avoidance of Double tax treaties exists with Canada, Finland, India, Italy, Zambia, Norway and Sweden. tax credit is available even if no double Tax treaties provided the credit does not exceed Taxation payable in the United republic of Tanzania. CORPORATE TAX The Tax rate applicable to corporations is 30 percent (as per 1997/98 Finance Bill) and returns should be filed as described below: Provision returns should be filled in the first of the financial year, calculated on the basis of estimates profits for the year. the sum so calculated should be paid in four equal insatallments during the year. Final returns should be filled within nine months after the end of the financial year. If the difference between the two returns is more than 20 percent, a penalty of 1.5 percent per month is levied for a maximum of 15 months." What English - especially if it is borne that it is coming straight from London itself! In case you want to see more of the shameful writing visit by: Johnnie L. Geho, Arusha
Vehicle re-call and wheel safetyDear Editor, I read in your most recent edition of a vehicle re-call in which wheel safety was concerned. During my visits to Tanzania I was amazed at the number of vehicles I saw where serious wheel safety was in doubt. On one occasion I saw a coach ready to go into service in Dar es Salaam and sixteen (out of 40) wheel nuts were missing! Most commercial wheels have 5, 6, 8 or 10 stud fixings requiring that same number of nuts to hold the wheel in position. Vehicle manufacturers design their vehicles to be safe and the greater the weight the greater the number of wheel nuts are needed. Many, many vehicles I saw in Tanzania lacked one or more wheel nuts, very often the fixing studs were broken off too. The cause of broken studs is over-tightening by using a lever far too long and/or by an operative who doesn't know his own strength. The tightening sequence is important. The attitude of, 'ah well, we'll replace it when we have time', places many people in grave danger - the driver, the passengers and other road users. A wheel assembly for the average truck weighs two or three hundredweights and if detached will act like Barnes Wallis' bouncing bomb as used by the Dam Busters in WWII. Wheels should be tightened by the use of a torque wrench set to the vehicle manufacturer's recommended setting. The effect of over tightening is to stretch the wheel stud and then break it and distortion of the wheel's metal around the stud hole. In Europe a vehicle lacking a wheel nut would very soon be spotted by other road users and reported to the police, then stopped and impounded, and the operator fined in Court. I offer the following advice regarding wheel fixing in the hope it will be implemented and save accidents and lives. a. Use a torque wrench for the purpose of tightening wheel nuts. b. Find out the recommended torque setting for each vehicle in the fleet and only tighten wheels using it. (Never tighten wheels using a long bar and the strongest employee in sight - he'll strain or break the wheel stud). c. Observe the manufacturer's wheel tightening sequence advice. It is unlikely that that advice will be clockwise (or anticlockwise). More likely it will be 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 1 o'clock, 7 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 9 o'clock etc. This ensures that the wheel doesn't distort as it is tightened. Wheel wobble and imbalance results from distorted wheels. d. Do not oil wheel studs. Surplus oil will push in front of the nut and may cause the wheel to become loose in service. Lightly oil/lubricate the inside of the nut so that any surplus is left behind. e. Never paint wheels. The thickness of the paint may cause wheels to become loose. The manufacturers factory finish is adequate and usually a better finish than can be achieved by painting. f. Discard and replace wheels which the stud-hole/s have become elongated since the nut cannot hold securely. g. If in doubt - ask advice! It is often said that a vehicle's tyres are your only contact with the road, but if the wheels don't stay on..........well! As far as braking and brake advice goes, ask the advice of an expert. Your faithfully,
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