FINANCE Minister, Mthuli Ncube has proposed a 10% tax on gross winning sports betting.

Ncube made the proposal during the 2025 National Budget in Parliament Thursday.

"In order to embrace punters into the tax base, I propose to introduce a 10% withholding tax on gross winnings of sports betting punters, with effect from 1 January 2025.

"The withholding tax will apply on both in-house and online sports betting managed by land-based bookmakers.

"Bookmakers will, thus, be obliged to withhold the tax on behalf of the government," Ncube said.

Meanwhile, the finance minister also introduced a new plastic bag tax citing environmental concerns.

'Inorder to promote the use of biodegradable packaging, l propose to introduce a 20% plastic tax on the sale value of a plastic carrier bag," Ncube added.

Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator for Marondera Central, Caston Matewu criticised Ncube's plastic tax saying this will have no effect to the revenue needed for the country.

"And the paperbag tax, we have to call him the paper bag man, he is putting 20% paper bag tax, absolutely this will have no effect to the revenue that this country will need.

"Actually, we should be getting more money from mining, he should have said all foreigners who are mining in Zimbabwe should pay so much tax so that we raise the money through natural resources that this country has.

"What the minister has done was just a talk show. There is nothing for Zimbabweans that will change," Matewu said.