Thousands of Namibian farmers face fines or jail terms for not filling in forms for a government inquiry aimed at discouraging foreign ownership of land, the Namibian newspaper reported Tuesday.
The newspaper reported the data generated from the one-month probe, to be conducted by the ministry of lands, immigration officials and the police, would be used to determine the tax to be imposed on landowners.
By the end of last week, only 7 800 of the expected mostly white 12 684 commercial farmers had completed the forms, which require the disclosure by farmers of their names and nationalities, the number of farms they own, and their size.
The new tax, first announced in April 2002, was introduced on Tuesday, and is seen as a move to discourage foreign ownership of land and maximise land usage in the largely desert country.
According to the land valuation and taxation regulation of December 2001, those who fail to return their forms could face a fine of 20 000 Namibian dollars ($2 500) or five years in prison, or both.
The results from these forms are to be used for the publication of a provisional valuation roll of agricultural properties in Namibia. The ministry now hopes to publish this roll at the end of April.
Last year the government announced that farmers would be taxed at a rate of 0,75% of the value of each hectare of undeveloped land owned by commercial farmers, and one per cent on land owned by ”absentee landlords” — foreign landlords, living
outside Namibia.
Lands Permanent Secretary Frans Tsheehama said the probe was deemed necessary after 40% of commercial farmers in Namibia failed to complete valuation forms by the February 1 deadline. – Sapa-AFP