Father Henriot calls for windfall tax, says not a radical step

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In a comment piece on the leaders page of last Tuesday's Post newspaper (for which I have only just found a weblink, so apologies for the delay), high-profile economic justice campaigner and Jesuit priest Father Peter Henriot called for the Zambian Government to impose a windfall tax on the country's copper mining companies. Citing 'For Whom the Windfalls?' and appealing to Zambians to read the report, Father Henriot argued, “I did a quick Google Search and found plenty of examples of where large and unexpected profits have been legally taxed in order to benefit the people of a country. We certainly are not talking about something very radical or dangerously unsettling in a democratic country like Zambia.” Father Henriot then goes on to cite historical examples of the levying of such taxes in England and the US, and a series of contemporary cases in Mongolia (mining), South Africa (petrochemicals), Tanzania (petrol) and the Dominican Republic (tourism companies and exports). He proposes, “Zambia could call in the IMF to give us some advice on this highly technical matter! Now that suggestion is not made simply in jest! Indeed, the IMF was involved in the discussions with Tanzania and the Dominican Republic.”