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THE 2021 budget presented by the finance minister Mthuli Ncube to Parliament shows that the minister was living in a ‘fantasy world,’ according to academic, Professor Austin Chakaodza. “Some of the major challenges facing our society are issues of poverty and unemployment. Ninety percent of the people of Zimbabwe were already unemployed before the eruption of COVID-19. The majority of the people continue to lack certain basic capabilities which are encapsulated in the socio - economic rights guaranteed in the constitution,” he said. “They continue to be deprived of basic capabilities - such as the capability to be free from hunger, to live in good health, to be literate and access to a social security safety net. This budget does not fulfil a number of human rights such as the right to food, health, education and training,” Chakaodza said. A big part of Mthuli 2021 budget is a range of new tax measures to fund the ambitious $421,6 billion budget. The highlight of this plan is how the taxman plans to go after the informal sector, which is the bulk of the economy but pays little tax. From new and higher taxes to a new tax unit targeting SMEs, it is a budget that gives away very little, but takes a lot. Here is how some of Mthuli’s measures will affect you. If you are a low-income earner There is not much tax relief for you. The tax-free threshold has only been raised slightly from $5 000 per month to $10 000 per month. Tax bands will begin at $10 001 and end at $250 000 per month. This does little for the poorest workers. For perspective; in October, a Zimbabwean family of five needed $18 750 just to stay above the poverty line. If you earn more than $250 000, you pay the highest marginal tax rate of 40%. If you are expecting a bonus, the bonus tax-free threshold has gone up from $5 000 to $25 000, with effect from 1 November 2020. If you were tired of the 2% tax, sorry The 2% tax on mobile money and other electronic transfers stays. The tax has been unpopular since it came in 2018, but Mthuli says it has “generated substantial resources that have enabled Government to support various infrastructure projects”, including the COVID-19 response. So, the Minister isn’t giving much of this cash-cow away. You will no longer pay the 2% for transactions of up to $500, which is just a small increase from the current $300. For forex transactions, this tax will apply above US$5. The maximum of this tax that your business can pay has been raised from $25 000 to $800 000 on transactions with values exceeding $40 million, with effect from 1 January 2021. If you were planning to import a car Government will now control the importation of cars that are 10 years or older. Owning a car has just slid further from the reach of the majority, who cannot afford new vehicles. According to Mthuli, Zimbabwe has spent around US$1,3 billion importing buses and used cars over the past five years. Cars older than 10 years are now off the Open General Import Licence. This means that, from 2021, you will need a special import licence for older cars.
Many people have been killed since clashes began on Monday. Scores too had been killed in the run up to the vote as protestors marched against Conde's bid for a third term.
… People,” comes “Bad Hair,” an African-American-centered “hair horror” film to … .D.’s well-versed in African-American folklore, including a story about …
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Authorities in Kyrgyzstan on Saturday called an early presidential election for January after the nation's previous president was driven from power by protests triggered by a disputed vote. The Oct. 4 parliamentary election was swept by pro-government parties and triggered protests by the opposition, who rejected the official results as rigged. Demonstrators freed several opposition leaders, including Sadyr Zhaparov, who was quickly named the new prime minister. On Oct. 15, President Sooronbai Jeenbekov was forced to step down under pressure from demonstrators and Zhaparov became the acting head of state in Kyrgyzstan, […]
The post Amid turmoil, Kyrgyzstan sets presidential vote for Jan. 10 appeared first on Black News Channel.
Nature's Pharmacy: Qualified homeopath Hanli Rautenbach gives advice on how you can manage your migraines.
A lawsuit calls him “outrageous, intolerable.”
Diamond's Back: LisaRaye Announces She's Joined OnlyFans
What’s Cooking is a series in which I answer questions and share advice about food and cooking that you have but may be too shy to ask.
The article What’s Cooking: Prepping ingredients appeared first on Stabroek News.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia The commitment by Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden to help increase opportunities and recognize the plight of African Americans as outlined in an exclusive editorial with Black Press USA resonated quite loudly with African American publishers and national board members from the National Newspaper Publishers […]
The post NNPA Publishers Respond to Joe Biden’s Commitment and Plan for Black America appeared first on Afro.
… economic and educational opportunities for Black Americans and overhauling the nation’s …
Electoral authorities in Guinea on Saturday declared President Alpha Conde winner of Sunday's election with 59.49% of the vote, defeating his main rival Cellou Diallo.
\t Some people went to the streets to protest immediately after the announcement. Such demonstrations have occurred for months after the government changed the constitution through a national referendum, allowing Conde to extend his decade in power.
\t Opposition candidate Cellou Diallo received 33.50% of the vote, the electoral commission said. Voter turnout was almost 80%.
\t Political tensions in the West African nation turned violent in recent days after Diallo claimed victory ahead of the official results. Celebrations by his supporters were suppressed when security forces fired tear gas to disperse them.
They accuse the electoral authorities of rigging the vote for incumbent president Alpha Conde.
\t At least nine people have been killed since the election, according to the government. The violence sparked international condemnation by the U.S. and others.
\t ``Today is a sad day for African democracy,'' said Sally Bilaly Sow, a Guinean blogger and activist living abroad. The government should take into account the will of the people who have a desire for change, he said.
ICC warning
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor warned on Friday that warring factions in Guinea could be prosecuted after fighting erupted.
“I wish to repeat this important reminder: anyone who commits, orders, incites, encourages and contributes in any other way to crimes … is liable to prosecution either by the Guinean courts or the ICC,” she said.
#ICC Prosecutor #FatouBensouda: "I wish to repeat this important reminder: anyone who commits, orders, incites, encourages or contributes, in any other way, to the commission of #RomeStatute crimes, is liable to prosecution either by #Guinean courts or by the #ICC."
— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) October 23, 2020
\t On Friday, internet and international calls were cut off across the West African nation in anticipation of the election results, according to locals and international observers in the capital, Conakry.
\t This was the third time that Conde matched-up against Diallo. Before the election, observers raised concerns that an electoral dispute could reignite ethnic tensions between Guinea's largest ethnic groups.
A flagrant, predatory, and fraudulent effort to defraud voters has allegedly occurred in a South Los Angeles senior citizen housing complex in Jefferson Park.
The post Investigation Launched After Senior Citizens in South LA Victimized By Voter Fraud appeared first on Los Angeles Sentinel.
By REBECCA BOONE and DAVID CRARY Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The U.S. coronavirus caseload has reached record heights with more than 83,000 infections reported in a single day, the latest ominous sign of the disease's grip on the nation, as states from Connecticut to the Rocky Mountain West reel under the surge. The U.S. death toll, meanwhile, has grown to 223,995, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard published by Johns Hopkins University. The total U.S. caseload reported on the site Friday was 83,757, topping the 77,362 cases reported on July 16. The impact is being felt in every section […]
The post US sets coronavirus infection record; deaths near 224,000 appeared first on Black News Channel.
By AAMER MADHANI and DEB RIECHMANN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump swept into office nearly four years ago as an outsider who promised to get things done quickly on behalf of the American people through sheer force of will and unrivaled knowledge about the art of the deal. He has checked off some items on his to-do list. Trump pushed through the most significant overhaul of the U.S. tax system since President Ronald Reagan. Trump, as he said he would, tilted the Supreme Court further to the right with confirmation of two conservative justices and likely a […]
The post Four years in, Trump has plenty of unfinished business appeared first on Black News Channel.
During the pandemic, many Americans have relied on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help with testing, treatment and to cover expenses possibly related to COVID-19, a soon to be “pre-existing” condition. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Black Americans and many other people of color exceptionally hard in the United States. The Supreme Court is … Continued
The post COVID-19, the New Pre-Existing Condition, and the ACA. appeared first on Chicago Defender.
With novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases continuing to rapidly increase in Kwebanna, the Region One community’s Village Council has decided to impose a two-week lockdown in an attempt to curb infections.
The article Kwebanna going into lockdown as COVID-19 cases surge appeared first on Stabroek News.
WHEN COVID-19 broke out, we all thought it was going to be another manageable ailment, until everything came to a halt. SUCCESS LIFE:Jonah Nyoni Now, we are slowly going back to business, but it seems life will not go back to normal any time soon. As highlighted in previous articles, occupational safety and health is now a central point in the corporate space. Time is ticking and we should now be thinking of what we will do whether COVID-19 goes away or stays longer. Governments across the globe are easing restrictions and we need to be thinking of ways of being effective in the “new normal”. As we think about how to strategise, the PWL Global Insurance says there are five priorities that we should consider as we craft our strategies: Realign your cost structure and sharpen productivity Supercharge digital transformation to create a digital enterprise Carve out new revenue streams Prepare your workforce for the new world Strengthen capital efficiency. Flexibility Most institutes have the same way of doing specific things and it’s hard to tell them that their year-to-year template is no longer relevant. In some institutes, you take a report that was written three years back, there are still clauses that are still being used, but with little success. Piloting Generally as we plan, we usually have short, medium and long-term plans. Before anyone takes on a long-term plan, it would be ideal to test it before they commit to it entirely. Make a short-term action plan as a pilot programme or experimental way so as to see the possible benefits or losses. This test run tells us what works and what does not work. Involvement Having tabled your strategic plan as a company, you need a progressive and a probing debate on the same document. It’s unfortunate that some leaders draft a document somewhere and shove it into the throat of employees to swallow without expecting to be questioned how realistic the plan is. Is it SMART enough? Does it bring solutions to specificities? Corporate audit Ask yourself: Where am I? At times we tend to think of ourselves as what we are really not. As a company, make both an internal and external audit. What did we lose? What kept us afloat? What do we need to stay relevant? This gives you a picture of how you are perceived in the minds of people against what you think of yourself. This helps to make necessary adjustments. Adopt a post-COVID-19 mentality The strategic plan becomes futile, especially with leaders that are hinged on maintaining and managing systems. Life has changed. COVID-19 has redefined rules of operation. Besides, life has its sharp turns, twists and changes and the leader should know what to do. As others ask the question: What? The leader asks: Why? That gives the proper answer it could to a current issue or for future encounters. “Why” gives purpose to the programmes you are doing. Is it significant? how is it positively affecting humanity? The “why factor” liberates leaders from just doing a project because it’s their work requirement. They do it because it’s relevant an
Rachel Rossi | Special to California Black Media Partners A common misconception of the criminal justice system is that it is as simple as guilty people admitting their guilt and innocent people going free. The truth in our courtrooms is rarely so clear. Instead, there are layers of issues beyond guilt, including systemic injustice, rushed […]
The post OP ED: The Power of Plea Bargaining: Prosecutorial Discretion Can Be Good in The Right Hands appeared first on Black Voice News.
AN increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases has prompted the Government to place the areas of Rae Town in Kingston and Cornwall Courts in St James under 'special area curfew', the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) announced yesterday.The curfew, which took effect at 6:00 pm yesterday, will remain in effect until 5:00 am on November 6, 2020, the OPM said in a release.
AN internal audit has exposed over 180 “voluntary workers” who were bleeding Marondera Municipality amid reports that they were each claiming $60 per day for doing menial jobs such as guarding communal boreholes and digging trenches. BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA This was revealed in a recent council audit committee report. The auditors noted several discrepancies where at some sites five people were said to be guarding a single borehole, amid reports that the “guards” were seconded by mostly MDC Alliance councillors. Marondera town has 11 MDC Alliance councillors and one for Zanu PF. It has emerged that each of the councillors seconded at least 15 workers to perform paid voluntary work. “Audit was concerned with the number of voluntary workers which was sky rocketing,” read part of the report. “The concern was that a single borehole was being manned by five people and to some extent people were attending malfunctioning boreholes. Audit cited loss of revenue.” Council early this year drilled 16 boreholes using devolution funds to ease water challenges, with five of them malfunctioning. According to the audit report, a number of voluntary workers were not reporting for duty but claimed daily allowances. “The audit manager said he received reports from the finance committee chairperson that there were some volunteers who were being paid yet they were not at work. The chairperson said internal audit should do the investigations and report accordingly,” read the report. The local authority is currently operating on a shoestring budget after revenue flows were affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in revenue collection falling by 50%.
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today joined Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., and Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Commissioner Rosa Escareno to announce a re-tightening of COVID-19 restrictions in response to a recent, rapid rise in cases and hospitalizations over the past two weeks. Beginning Friday, October 23rd at 6:00 … Continued
The post Mayor Lightfoot, CDPH, and BACP Reinstate Targeted COVID-19 Restrictions in Response to Rapid Rise in Cases and Hospitalizations appeared first on Chicago Defender.
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 24 October 2020: As countries across the world ramp up their response to the unfolding second wave of the deadly Coronavirus Pandemic that has killed over one million people, authorities in Sierra Leone have decided its time to scale down the government’s response. This decision was announced by the government’s national spokesman…
June Jordan was one of the most widely-published and highly-acclaimed African American writers of her generation, poet, playwright and essayist. Jordan was also known for her commitment to human rights and progressive political agenda. Jordan was the only child of Jamaican immigrant parents, Granville Ivanhoe and Mildred Maud Jordan, in Harlem, New York. Her father […]
