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Unstoppable capitalists are back, fuel theirs
2006-07-10 08:47:23
By Rayner Ngonji
COMPLAINTS on hiked fuel prices have re-surfaced again. These have resumed hardly three weeks since the government waved the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products.
The Minister for Finance, Zakia Meghji announced June 15 this year, when tabling in Parliament the government’s 2006/07 budget estimates that it has taken the measure among others to relieve the citizenry of the life burden loaded on them by escalating fuel prices.
Following the move, prices of all petroleum products, according to the minister’s directive, with effect from July 1, were supposed to go down to reflect the changes and offer the anticipated relief to wananchi.
However, that has never been experienced. What the majority of the people witnessed was the inflated prices being maintained and in certain cases shooting up.
The fuel dealers remained adamant by adhering to their position arguing that they couldn’t reduce the prices abruptly because they still had stocks which they bought at high prices.
One of them was quoted by the media as vowing never to lower the prices because the items in the world market were still unstable, meaning they secure(d) the products at fluctuating prices.
Dar es Salaam commuter bus operators talk of fuel prices being pegged at as high as 1,300/- per litre of petrol, 1,280/- each litre of diesel and 1,150/- a litre of kerosene.
But the very businessmen are the ones who all along have been attributing the staggering fuel prices crisis to a number of taxes that include valued added tax.
Now that the government has abolished one of the taxes, they should have extended the government generosity to the consumers by at least reducing the prices of their products to offer relief to the customers.
But that seems to be rather difficult to be chewed by the businessmen who are all out to make sure they reap as much profit as possible.
Businessmen all over the world are guided by only one principle.
That of operating their business at the highest profit margin as long as the circumstances allow.
Under what situation the profit is realised, is none of their businesses. Whether that is being carried out at the expense of the poor peasants and workers, nobody bothers.
In developing countries like Tanzania where as far as economic and political policies are concerned, the welfare of the people is immaterial making the situation become worse and signaling a disaster.
With all decisions affecting the middle and minimum wage earners who constitute 90 per cent of the population at the bottom, chances of improving this social stratum is slippery and minimal.
This column expressed its concern right from the moment when the move to abolish taxes of the petroleum products was announced.
That the government should expect little cooperation from businessmen is something that is in the lips of all consumers.
This follows the trend in which for years they have been trading and swimming regardless of the citizens who are providing them with real market.
There hasn’t been any stringent regulation to monitor their operations and call a spade a spade when they err.
One haunting question in the wake of the situation is ”where do they get the guts to ignore even the government’s directives?” Or is the government a big toothless dog?”
When we were young we were told not to venture into the darkness at night because a bogyman would show his wrath. We feared the bogey whose powers equated with the governments.
Little did I know that these bogeymen would just be governments only good at scarring and browbeating?
I thought of all the institutions with which they work, the government ought to be the most feared and respected while implementing its regulations because it is the one that creates a conducive environment for these greedy capitalists to operate.
I am not trying to tout for the government, but frankly speaking anybody who works for you and is under your guidance and protection is supposed to respect you or otherwise he/she forms his/her own country if not satisfied by conditions put forward.
When we talk of cooperation it should be borne that this is similar to a bond where either party has to abide.
Cooperation in whatever endeavor is a two way-traffic thing. Either side is bound to adhere to certain principles and regulations set up to reach a given goal or destination.
Failure to observe and live to the conditions, the business community showing arrogance on the basis of their partisan reasons are simply creating artificial life that is unfavorable to the local man.
Actually, why prosper and enmass a lot of wealth when your nephew, cousin or step brother is missing his square meals and claim to be patriotic?
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