https://www.ippmedia.com/en/bu...peal-1619bn-tax-bill

Two months have gone by peacefully with no mention of the Friedkin Group saga in Tanzania.
Just as the Friedkin Group felt the winds of peace swing their way……suddenly the Guardian (a reknown English newspaper in Tanzania) published an article on 22nd April, 2020 entitled: ‘ Tanzania Revenue Authority Director
Advises Friedkin Group To Appeal 161.91 Billion- Tax Bill.’
It is no longer hearsay or a mere rumour but a fact that the Friedkin Group of companies in Tanzania have been involved in major fraudulent tax evasion activities which have resulted in a whopping Tax and penalties Bill of Tzs.
161.91 Billion (or in US Dollar Terms US $ 70 Million).
This assessment is for fraudulent tax evasion including:
1. A racist offshore salary scheme designed to benefit only their white expatriate employees; and,
2. A transfer pricing policy practiced for over the last 30 years.
However, this assessment/tax bill does not include other more pertinent tax evasion schemes such under-invoicing of “special” client excursions/safaris as well as the purchase of valuable Tanzanian assets offshore. It is important to note that further interrogation and investigation will be conducted into the Friedkin Groups’ open refusal to honour its commitment of USD$100 Million for the 30 year Strategic Investor Status (SIS) awarded to them by the Tanzanian Government.
Part and parcel of this SIS investment guarantee award included the development of a high profile Elephant Orphanage in Arusha, development of which which was inexplicably stopped in 2016 for no apparent reason. All of these issues are still under investigation by the relevant Government Authorities.
Yet, the Friedkin Group Executive Management team in
Houston (Dan Friedkin, Marc Watts, Kimberely Jacobson & Eric Williamson) still refuse to face the reality confronting them and blatantly continue to deny all the allegations and evidence presented by the media concerning their tax evasion disaster!
Sources close to the Friedkin Group have exposed the desperately comical attempts by the Friedkin Executive team to camouflage the negative publicity surrounding their USD $ 70 Million tax evasion scandal!
For the past three years, the Friedkin Group led by Dan Friedkin and Marc Watts recruited/hired at a great expense , numerous foreign and local so called “consultants” from various backgrounds (lawyers, consultants, a US State Department Official, Tanzanian politicians and local fixers/facilitators) in an attempt to conceal the truth and escape responsibility for their actions in Tanzania.
These so called “experts” were :
Fabia Bausch (Chem Chem Safaris), Nicolas Negre
(Chem Chem Safaris), Ed Shipley (US State Department),
Fayaz Bhojani ( FB Attorneys), Ron Machin (Wilmer
Hale -Washington DC), David Bowker (Wilmer Hale -
Washington DC), Alex Rechsteiner (Burka Coffee
Estate), Lemmy Bartholomew (Mawalla Advocates), Islam Mbaraka (Jamii Forum & Raia Mwema) and Jack Gotham (Gotham International Limited).
The frantic efforts by these so called experts, (or one can say ”cover up” teams) orchestrated to hide the truth with multiple disinformation campaigns, proved futile. They were unable to either escape or divert the scrutiny of the Government officials tasked with investigating and uncovering the facts concerning the Friedkin Group. Dan Friedkin has now abandoned his home in Arusha and many of their white staff have fled the country to avoid investigation.
As my previous writings stipulated, it is now critical that the Friedkin Groups’ dishonest practices and underhand deceitful behavior be exposed – lets’ just call a spade a spade!
In the interest of justice, it is imperative that the Friedkin Group of companies are judged and held accountable under civilized dictates of transparency and fairness. It is fast becoming apparent that they fall drastically short of and have patently failed to observe these ethical and legal standards.
It is now time for them to come clean, open up and face the music confronting them ! The leadership of the Friedkin Group must stop hiding under this veil of fake innocence. Admit and take ownership of your guilt rather than waste everyone’s time by continuing to look for scapegoats to blame !

More prime areas lost?

Not again. I had hoped this person would go away for good.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Not again. I had hoped this person would go away for good.

+1

This person(s) has an issue (probably mental) and is using reporting as fact(s).

From past experience, reporting of news outlets never covers the issue fairly and is one sided in it reporting.

Friedkin should just leave Tanzania, not spend another penny there. Screw them!

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:
Friedkin should just leave Tanzania, not spend another penny there. Screw them!

They have been there a very long time. Not sure that’s happening

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:
Friedkin should just leave Tanzania, not spend another penny there. Screw them!

They have been there a very long time. Not sure that’s happening

I know they have. They have spent many millions in tanzania!

Anyone wants to hazard a guess that a cryfromtanzania is a commie who is jealous that the Friedkins, and others foreigners, are doing so many good things to the Tanzanian communities and he does not like it?

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Anyone wants to hazard a guess that a cryfromtanzania is a commie who is jealous that the Friedkins, and others foreigners, are doing so many good things to the Tanzanian communities and he does not like it?

100% Correct.

I'd estimate that no other outfitter has put more funds into wildlife conservation in Tanzania than the companies/entities headed by the Friedkins.

As is sometimes said: "No good deed goes unpunished."

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Anyone wants to hazard a guess that a cryfromtanzania is a commie who is jealous that the Friedkins, and others foreigners, are doing so many good things to the Tanzanian communities and he does not like it?

From seeing this up close I'm not convinced that Friedkin's intent had nothing to do with their own gratification (of whatever stamp) rather than assistance to local communities - but that's only an opinion.

I would also say that taking on TRA is never going to end well - no matter what financial or personnel resource is behind you - this is a question of agendas and political points scoring against the mzungu. This is not an opinion, but from bitter personal experience.....

Does the right of appeal not exist in Tanzania?

If that is true, I would suggest all investors avoid Tanzania. But considering the level of corruption in Tanzania, it would be best to avoid it regardless...

A Cry sounds much like every other disgruntled employee in Africa. Wealth envy isn't just an American liberal thing.

I am still quite amused about an African complaining about corruption.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I am still quite amused about an African complaining about corruption.

May be they do not like competition!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I am still quite amused about an African complaining about corruption.

May be they do not like competition!

That was hysterical!

Nothing to do with the Friedkins, but the Magafuli government is not just targeting the Wazungu.

https://theorganiser.net/afric...billion-chinese-loan

The Magufulification of Africa is On as Tanzania President Cancels $10 Billion Chinese Loan
By a press release (22/04/2020)

The Magufulification of Africa continues after the Tanzania President cancels a whopping US$10 billion Chinese loan because it does not help Tanzanians.



Tanzania President Dr John Magufuli, alias 'The Bull Dozer' has cancelled a mouth-watering US$10 million Chinese loan because he thinks the terms and conditions can only be accepted by drunkards. In short, President Magufuli described it as a 'Killer Loan'......

Why honor an agreement when you didn't get any of the kickbacks and graft?

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Why honor an agreement when you didn't get any of the kickbacks and graft?

Absolutely.

That is why this will probably domino across the "One bribe, one loan" world.

China and Xi are perched on the precipice and hanging by their nails. 10B from Tanzania is the least of their problems at the moment.

quote:

Originally posted by Kuwinda:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Anyone wants to hazard a guess that a cryfromtanzania is a commie who is jealous that the Friedkins, and others foreigners, are doing so many good things to the Tanzanian communities and he does not like it?

From seeing this up close I'm not convinced that Friedkin's intent had nothing to do with their own gratification (of whatever stamp) rather than assistance to local communities - but that's only an opinion.

I would also say that taking on TRA is never going to end well - no matter what financial or personnel resource is behind you - this is a question of agendas and political points scoring against the mzungu. This is not an opinion, but from bitter personal experience.....

I agree with that statement and the Friedkin's have pumped millions into the economy and communities. Same as Paul Tudor Jones in the Luangwa valley. More recently the Kafue

However wealthy Zambians have taken on that concession with pleasing results, and the likes of PTJ have to accept Africa is for Africans.

A concept I realized many moons ago

Acryfortanzania should be reminded that if it was not for the utter, incredible, corruption in African countries so many people would invest in their countries.

And both can reap fantastic benefits.

My experience with working people in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa has been fantastic.

They are very hard working and honest.

Trouble starts once anyone gets a title of some sort, and he starts thinking he is more intelligent that he actually is.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Acryfortanzania should be reminded that if it was not for the utter, incredible, corruption in African countries so many people would invest in their countries.

And both can reap fantastic benefits.

My experience with working people in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa has been fantastic.

They are very hard working and honest.

Trouble starts once anyone gets a title of some sort, and he starts thinking he is more intelligent that he actually is.

Nail on head.

In the late '90s I did some work for the World Bank on privatising Tanzanian parastatals - one of which was the cement factories. Those in Tanga and Dar were wholly managed by Holderbank (Swiss) and another Scandi company with local labour and engineering but the one in Mbeya was still managed by Twiga. Those in Tanga and Dar were running at capacity and frankly most of the plant was being hounded beyond capacity - but they were bustling happy places. The plant in Mbeya was "in maintenance" - it was essentially dead despite having a close source of very cheap fuel - coal. But the (Tanzanian) manager still succeeded in having the biggest desk and a brand new Pajero....

What ever became of all this?

Rumour has it that Friedkin has pulled out of TZ. Anyone heard?

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Kuwinda:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Anyone wants to hazard a guess that a cryfromtanzania is a commie who is jealous that the Friedkins, and others foreigners, are doing so many good things to the Tanzanian communities and he does not like it?

From seeing this up close I'm not convinced that Friedkin's intent had nothing to do with their own gratification (of whatever stamp) rather than assistance to local communities - but that's only an opinion.

I would also say that taking on TRA is never going to end well - no matter what financial or personnel resource is behind you - this is a question of agendas and political points scoring against the mzungu. This is not an opinion, but from bitter personal experience.....

I agree with that statement and the Friedkin's have pumped millions into the economy and communities. Same as Paul Tudor Jones in the Luangwa valley. More recently the Kafue

However wealthy Zambians have taken on that concession with pleasing results, and the likes of PTJ have to accept Africa is for Africans.

A concept I realized many moons ago

Andrew,
I hear you but until the likes of Rasheed Rancine are gone from Zambia, I struggle to see anything that is remotely considered progress.

quote:

Originally posted by cow-trader:

What ever became of all this?

Rumour has it that Friedkin has pulled out of TZ. Anyone heard?

The latest I have been able to find out is they have retrenched most of their local staff. So many of the people who depended on Friedkin for jobs have suffered the most from all this. Hope that CryFromTan is busy working to support all these folks who are now jobless. So bitch all you want about salary disparity now that no one has a job. Congratulations on your first lesson on how life works.

The core team is still together, but I've heard nothing definitive about their concessions or future plans for Tanzania. Like everyone else operating in Africa, it's a wait and see what happens next posture but have the road flares warmed up just in case.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:

quote:

Originally posted by cow-trader:

What ever became of all this?

Rumour has it that Friedkin has pulled out of TZ. Anyone heard?

The latest I have been able to find out is they have retrenched most of their local staff. So many of the people who depended on Friedkin for jobs have suffered the most from all this. Hope that CryFromTan is busy working to support all these folks who are now jobless. So bitch all you want about salary disparity now that no one has a job. Congratulations on your first lesson on how life works.

The core team is still together, but I've heard nothing definitive about their concessions or future plans for Tanzania. Like everyone else operating in Africa, it's a wait and see what happens next posture but have the road flares warmed up just in case.

The cry babies don't care about anything.

Just getting attention to themselves.

Too stupid to see further than the tips of their collective self serving arses!

It's a very common problem with labor in Africa. They have a very difficult time understanding value and time. All they know is you are to hire them and pay them. If you are a minute late with pay, they file a complaint with the Labor Board. If the are retrenched because their job is no longer needed, they file a complaint with the Labor Board. If they are reprimanded for poor job performance, they file a complaint with the Labor Board. If they are fired for violating the terms of the employment agreement, they file a complaint with the Labor Board.

What I find baffling is the CryForTanz types. They lose they job because of poor performance or being drunk or for theft, they then create all kinds of havoc with various government departments for you, they inflame the community against you, they encourage other employees to strike, then two weeks later after they have drunk the last bit of pay they were able to save, they come back and ask for their old job back. It's like nothing they have done in the past matters. All they understand is you need to pay them so that they can continue to drink.

Dealing with the government is fairly straight forward. You know someone involved will come at you for bribes and favors. It's to be expected and if you pay once, you will be paying for the rest of your life. However, dealing with labor is the biggest conundrum and challenge.

Now, now, everyone knows BLM- no matter what....