Ngaba Kuya Kusanda Ukungathandwa Kwerhafu?
“Kungakhathaliseki ukuba ndisebenze nzima kangakanani, umvuzo wam uyohluthwa.”—Iqhalo laseBhabhiloni elalisetyenziswa malunga nowama-2300 B.C.E.
“Kweli hlabathi, akukho nto unokuqiniseka ngayo ngaphandle kokufa nerhafu.”—Amazwi egosa likarhulumente laseUnited States uBenjamin Franklin, ngowe-1789.
UREUBEN ngumthengisi. Nyaka ngamanye imali ayisebenzele nzima emalunga namashumi amathathu ekhulwini iphelela kwirhafu. Ukhalaza ngelithi: “Andiyiboni nento eyenziwa ngale mali. Urhulumente usuke wanciphisa iinkonzo zakhe.”
Noko ke, sithanda singathandi, kufuneka siyihlawule irhafu. Umbhali uCharles Adams uthi: “Ukususela oko kwabakho impucuko, oorhulumente baye bafuna irhafu.” Akungoku abantu bengakuthandi ukuhlawula irhafu. Xa abantu baseBritani babesilwa nabaseRoma babesithi: “Sixolel’ ukufa kunokuba sihlawule irhafu!” Ukungathandi kwabantu baseFransi ukuhlawula irhafu eyayibizwa ngokuba yigabelle, irhafu eyayihlawulwa xa kuthengwa ityuwa, kwakhokelela kwiFrench Revolution, apho abaqokeleli berhafu babenqunyulwa iintloko. Ukungathandwa kwerhafu kwafak’ isandla kwimfazwe eyaliwa yiUnited States xa yayifuna inkululeko kwiNgilani.
Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba nanamhlanje kusekho abantu abangakuthandiyo ukuhlawula irhafu. Iingcali zithi ngokuqhelekileyo kumazwe asakhasayo azikho iindlela zokuqokelela irhafu “ezisemgangathweni” yaye nezo zikhoyo “ziyabacinezela abantu.” Ngokutsho komnye umphengululi, kwelinye ilizwe laseAfrika elihlwempuzekileyo kukho “iintlobo zerhafu ezingaphezu kwama-300, kodwa nabona bantu baqeqeshiweyo abanakukwazi ukuqinisekisa ukuba imali yerhafu isetyenziswa ngendlela efanelekileyo. Azikho iindlela zokuqokelela irhafu nezokuqinisekisa ukuba imali isetyenziswa ngendlela efanelekileyo ukanti nezo zikhoyo azilandelwa, . . . nto leyo ebangela ukuba isetyenziswe kakubi irhafu.” Kwi-BBC News kwathiwa kwelinye ilizwe laseAsia, “amagosa karhulumente ahlawulisa abantu irhafu engekho mthethweni—njengokubahlawulisa xa belima iibhanana okanye bexhela iihagu—yaye imali efunyenweyo iya kwingxowa-mali karhulumente okanye ingena kwabasemagunyeni.”
Eyona nto ibangela ukuba abantu bangakuthandi ukuhlawula irhafu ngumahluko okhoyo phakathi kwezityebi namahlwempu. Iphephancwadi le-United Nations iAfrica Recovery lithi: “Omnye umahluko phakathi kwamazwe ahambele phambili kwezoqoqosho namazwe asakhasayo kukuba, kumazwe ahambele phambili kwezoqoqosho amafama ayaxhaswa ngemali ngoxa kumazwe asakhasayo ehlawuliswa irhafu. . . . Uhlolisiso olwenziwe yi-World Bank lubonisa ukuba xa amafama akwiNtshona Afrika ethumela umqhaphu eUnited States, nyaka ngamnye afumana imali engaphantsi ngee-R1,84 zamawaka ezigidi, mali leyo ekuxhaswa ngayo amafama.” Ngenxa yoko, amafama amazwe asakhasayo asenokungathandi ukuhlawula irhafu ekubeni ehleli efumana imali encinane. Omnye umfama welizwe laseAsia uthi: “Sele sisazi ukuba xa kusiza [amagosa karhulumente] aze kufuna imali.”
Kutshanje, xa bekufuneka amafama aseMzantsi Afrika arhafele imihlaba yawo kufunyaniswe ukuba akakuthandi ukuhlawula irhafu. Akazange awuthobele umyalelo wenkundla owawugunyazisa ukuba ahlawule irhafu. Isithethi samafama sathi ukuhlawula irhafu “kuza kuwashiya engenamali yaye loo nto iza kubangela ukuba abantu abasebenza kwiifama baphelelwe yimisebenzi.” Maxa wambi, ukungafuni ukuhlawula irhafu kuphumela kugonyamelo. Kwi-BBC News kwanikela le ngxelo: “Kunyaka ophelileyo kuye kwafa amafama [aseAsia] amabini ngethuba amapolisa ehlasela abahlali basemaphandleni ababegwayimbele irhafu ephezulu.”
Noko ke, asingomahlwempu kuphela angakuthandiyo ukuhlawula irhafu. Uphando olwenziwe eMzantsi Afrika lubonisa ukuba abantu abafumileyo abaninzi “abakuthandi ukuhlawula irhafu eyongezelelekileyo—nokuba oko kuza kwenza urhulumente angakwazi ukuphucula iinkonzo ezibalulekileyo.” Amaphephandaba aye abhala ngabantu abadumileyo kwezomculo, kwimidlalo yeqonga, kwezemidlalo nakwezobupolitika abangayihlawuliyo irhafu. Incwadi ethi The Decline (and Fall?) of the Income Tax ithi: “Okubuhlungu kukuba amagosa karhulumente aphambili nabalawuli abakhange bamisele mzekelo mhle ekuthobeleni imithetho yerhafu.”
Mhlawumbi nawe uvakalelwa kukuba irhafu iphakame kakhulu yaye akunakukwazi ukuyihlawula. Ngoko ufanele ube nayiphi imbono ngokuhlawula irhafu? Ngaba kubalulekile ukuyihlawula? Kutheni imithetho ephathelele ukuhlawulwa kwerhafu isoloko intsonkothile yaye ikhangeleka icinezela? Amanqaku alandelayo aza kuphendula le mibuzo.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
Kusenokwenzeka ukuba abantu abahlwempuzekileyo abahlala kumazwe asakhasayo bahlawula irhafu eninzi
[Inkcazelo]
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