Martin Endjala
The Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) today announced that it has successfully refunded taxpayers with N$100.9 million in a push to bolster its commitment to provide timely services to taxpayers.
While giving an update on the mass tax refund, NamRA’s Chief Strategic Communications and Support Engagements Yarukeekuro Ndorokaze, said the ongoing exercise that commenced in December 2023, highlights the positive impact on taxpayers.
Out of the 78,441 tax returns processed, Ndorokaze indicated that 46,941 refunds were successfully paid to 46,772 individual salaried persons and pensioners.
The refund by NamRA is said to be significant in the financial relief provided to eligible taxpayers. However, he stated that while the majority of refunds were successfully processed, unfortunately, 31,500 refunds, totalling N$56.9 million, were rejected for various reasons.
The rejection criteria encompassed outstanding returns, unpaid liabilities, and no bank account numbers amongst other factors.
“NamRA appreciates the cooperation received from taxpayers during this exercise and remains committed to minimising delays in the refund process.
We, therefore, urge taxpayers to proactively address the identified shortcomings to avoid refund rejections going forward and ensure the swift release of their refunds,” said Ndorokze.
Meanwhile, NamRA’s Commissioner Sam Shivute earlier this year in January, said that in an effort to tackle the backlog of pending refunds, they announced the commencement of a mass release/payment of tax refunds to individual salaried persons and pensioners.
This substantial initiative reaffirms NamRA’s dedication to providing efficient and timely services to taxpayers.
Shivute reminded Namibians that only ten months are remaining before the current Tax Amnesty Programme ends, with the due date set for 31 October 2024.
Thereby, urging all taxpayers to leverage this window to fulfill their obligations, taking advantage of the provided tax amnesty provisions.
Moreover, in aligning with the vision of the late President Hage Geingob, who declared 2024 the “Year of Great Expectations.
Shivute reiterates that NamRA’s focus areas for the year will be centred around, improved service delivery, implementation of approved business processes, entrenching the NamRA culture, enhanced compliance and enforcement, and the Implementation of focused data analytics.
Through these centred areas, he explained that they intend to collectively strive for continuous improvement, embracing change, and meeting expectations set forth for them in the new year.
