The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has intercepted 4 more trucks carrying assorted lotions worth over 1.7 million Kwacha.
The consignments were declared at Chanida Border as cleaning materials by using an additional procedure code for Chipata General Hospital hence enjoying an exemption from taxes.
ZRA Corporate Communications Manager Topsy Sikalinda however said alert ZRA officers intercepted the consignments in Katete and inspected the trucks that had assorted body lotions contrary to what was declared as cleaning materials for the hospital.
“Investigations have revealed that this is a pure case of smuggling through False Declaration, False Representation, Misclassifications, Document falsification and abuse of a Taxpayer Identification Number (TPIN) contrary to the customs and excise Act Cap 322 of the Laws of Zambia” Mr Sikalinda explained.
Mr. Sikalinda Said that with COVID 19 making revenue collection a challenge, the authority is now focused on bridging the revenue gap through Anti-Smuggling, Debt recovery, and Audits as part of the strategy.
He stated that the results are already being recorded because, in the last two months, various consignments have been intercepted and seized in line with zero tolerance to smuggling.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sikalinda has disclosed that the authority has successfully managed to prosecute a clearing agent of Nakonde who was jailed for various smuggling related offenses.
The ZRA Corporate Communications Manager is optimistic that more jail sentences are expected because the Authority has resolved to prosecute all offenders in the courts of law.
Mr. Sikalinda said that the Authority will continue with the fight against smuggling and tax evasion and punishing offenders.
“When the Commissioner-General Mr. Kingsley Chanda said that “we shall now be seizing the goods and vessels from smugglers” it was not a joke,” he said.
He has since warned that no one shall be spared in the fight against smuggling and tax evasion.
And Mr. Sikalinda has disclosed that to further demonstrate the authorities seriousness, ZRA has today donated about 494, 825 kg various consignments of seized mealie meal and maize amounting K 1.3 million kwacha and 24,552 litres of cooking oil worth about 700 Thousand Kwacha to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit under the vice president’s office.
He explained that this is all being done in line with the provisions of the customs and excise act cap 322 of the laws of Zambia which empowers the Commissioner-General to donate items to the government or deserving charitable organizations in line with the provisions.
Mr. Sikalinda disclosed that all the donated consignments were intercepted in various parts of the country for smuggling related activities and he’s hopeful that smugglers will now seriously desist from this vice that has potential to weaken the Zambian economy.
Thank you and well done. Mwachita bwino. It’s to whip such people. Most of these criminals have connections with diasporans desperate to show they are living the high life at all costs.
Thank you and well done. Mwachita bwino. It’s to whip such people. Most of these criminals have connections with diasporans desperate to show they are living the high life at all costs. Kaizar zulu
Thank you and well done. Mwachita bwino. It’s to whip such people. Most of these criminals have connections with diasporans desperate to show they are living the high life at all costs. Kz c
Thank you and well done. Mwachita bwino. It’s to whip such people. Most of these criminals have connections with diasporans desperate to show they are living the high life at all costs. Lusaka times editor sort this joke of a website
PF at it again with Sabotage.
You see these ZRA will set confiscated goods of fire, instead of donating to female voters in prisons. Give just 4 boxes to Rodgers Mwewa’s orphanage.
Have seen video of these PFools distributing cooking oil on plates and in empty chibuku packages?
That’s a saddest scene. Catastrophic event in Chilanga.
Why Maria Langa couldn’t hire PF thugs who distribute chitenges, those thugs organise people really well.
ZRA will return the goods soon with an apology once the owners come for them…only highly placed MOH civil servants know such loopholes and stinking PF cadres are capable of such criminality
Why not just pay customs duty and proceed with business instead of losing a consignment worth K1.7m. C’mmon business people, let’s do the math before we make such attempts leading to a huge loss.
This is very small compared to reality on the ground. Every day trucks and trucks of goods come.in the country …smuggled…under declared….transit dumping….
The people.whose goods are confiscated are unfortunate as they didn’t have the “connections”
Those with connections can even bring 50 trucks in a month…and nothing happens……..
Known facts………our officials.gonto shoprite and see no smuggled products and sleep happily.
What of goods in all the mwenye shops ku Kamwala….soweto…etc……….
This is all window dressing….
Ati 24500 litres of saladi……what a joke…..when saladi smuggled in Zambia is in millions of litres monthly………..they are good at appeasing zambian making it look like they are trying kanshi in the background trucks and trucks are coming………what a circus………..