Jonathan Moyo Sues Zimdef For US$102 218, 01 & Farm And City Centre

HIGHER and Tertiary Education minister, Jonathan Moyo, has dragged Zimbabwe Newspapers to the High Court  over unpaid Manpower Development Fund contributions to the tune of US$102 218 and US$28 392 respectively.

Moyo also took Farm and City Centre for the same ‘crime’.

In terms of Section 53 of the Manpower Planning and Development Act, the minister is empowered to impose levy by a statutory instrument payable to the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).

Moyo said Zimpapers and Farm and City Centre, being employers were liable to pay a 1% levy of their total assessed wage bills to the fund in advance every month, but the two companies had failed to meet their obligations.

In respect of Zimpapers, the minister said “for the period from August 31 2015 to date, the defendant did not remit its levy due on monthly basis as is required by the regulations.”

And, in respect of Farm and City, he said the period was from September 2015 to date.

“As a result of the defendant’s default in its levy remittances due per month as required the plaintiff, through the chief executive of the fund, has revoked Section 5 of the Notice and imposed a 10% surcharge on the outstanding levy,” Moyo said in his declaration filed with the summons.

“Defendant (Zimpapers) is therefore liable to plaintiff (Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education) in the sum of US$102 218, 01 due for the period 31 August to date plus any future assessed monthly levy charge due from the month of 31 August 2015 to the month of full payment.”

As regards to Farm and City he said: “defendant is therefore liable to plaintiff in the sum of US$28 392, 49 being the levy due for the period 30 September 2015 to date.”

In September, Moyo  sued the Hwange Local Board over a US$17 000 debt owed to Zimdef.

Moyo filed the application at the Bulawayo High Court on August 25, accusing the local authority of not remitting levies and surcharge fees to Zimdef.

Source: NewsDay additional reporting by Bulawayo24.com

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