Save SA Smelters calls on government to speed up introduction of chromium ore export tax
The group said the government’s failure to ban or impose a tax on the export of crude chrome ore has already cost the country tens of thousands of jobs in the industry.
Save SA Smelters taxed the export of crude chrome ore would see, at the very least, in the short term, thousands of direct jobs restored. Image: Twitter / @ SaveSASmelters
JOHANNESBURG – Defense group Save SA Smelters has accused the government of sabotaging its own economy and putting more than 80,000 jobs at stake.
The group said the government’s failure to ban or impose a tax on the export of crude chrome ore has already cost the country tens of thousands of jobs in the industry.
The organization said the tax would at the very least restore thousands of direct jobs in the short term.
Last week Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel announced the introduction of a tax on the export of scrap metal, adding that a tax including raw chromium ore would follow soon.
With the scrap ban now in place, Save SA Smelters official Lindelani Nyathikazi said imposing a tax on the export of crude chromium ore was long overdue.
He said South Africa was short of around R 8 to 14 billion in direct taxes.
“We call on the government to ensure that these announcements, the chromium ore tax as well as the latest announcement that was made in terms of on-board power generation, are implemented together.”
Nyathikazi also said the country has the largest ferrochrome reserves in the world and therefore imposing a tax would force the market to comply.
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