Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Congo government hounding hospital for rape victims
Source: The Guardian
Congo government ‘hounding’ hospital for rape victims
David Smith, Africa correspondent
The Guardian, Thursday 1 January 2015 14.34 GMT
A hospital founded by an award-winning gynaecologist to treat rape victims has accused the Congolese government of “hounding” it after tax authorities seized its accounts.
Panzi hospital in Bukavu, set up in 1999 by Dr Denis Mukwege, said it could no longer withdraw money or pay December wages to its 500 employees.
Mukwege survived an assassination attempt in 2012 and recently spoke out about insecurity and bad governance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has failed to lift millions out of poverty despite vast mineral resources.
Authorities have slapped a $50,000 (£32,095) monthly tax on the hospital. Patient Bashombe, a lawyer for the facility, said it had been accused of tax evasion even though “no public hospital in DRC has ever paid tax”. He accused the authorities of hounding it, adding: “Seizing the hospital’s accounts is illegal.”
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
David Smith, Africa correspondent
The Guardian, Thursday 1 January 2015 14.34 GMT
A hospital founded by an award-winning gynaecologist to treat rape victims has accused the Congolese government of “hounding” it after tax authorities seized its accounts.
Panzi hospital in Bukavu, set up in 1999 by Dr Denis Mukwege, said it could no longer withdraw money or pay December wages to its 500 employees.
Mukwege survived an assassination attempt in 2012 and recently spoke out about insecurity and bad governance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has failed to lift millions out of poverty despite vast mineral resources.
Authorities have slapped a $50,000 (£32,095) monthly tax on the hospital. Patient Bashombe, a lawyer for the facility, said it had been accused of tax evasion even though “no public hospital in DRC has ever paid tax”. He accused the authorities of hounding it, adding: “Seizing the hospital’s accounts is illegal.”
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/01/congo-government-hounding-hospital-rape-victims
