The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), has donated over six thousand litres of cooking oil worth K200, 000 to various charity and health institutions in Southern Province.

ZRA Commissioner – Customs Services Director, Sydney Chibbabbuka says the donation has been made in line with the Commission’s corporate social responsibility policy to deserving institutions.

Mr. Chibbabbuka said the donation which includes 259 cases of 12 by two litres cooking oil translates into 6,216 litres with a market value of K200, 000.

Speaking to Journalists at Livingstone’s Port Office on yesterday, Mr Chibbabbuka explained that the donation was as a result of an importer who tried to smuggle the cooking oil into the country to evade payment of duties and taxes.

Livingstone Central Hospital, Zimba Mission Hospital, Maamba Hospital, Monze and Choma General Hospitals are among the beneficiaries of the donated cooking oil.

Other institutions include Maramba Old People’s Home, SOS Children’s Village Livingstone, Mukasa Minor Seminary, Kwatu Children’s Home, Lushomo Trust Kazungula, Lubasi Orphanage, Ebenezer Orphanage, Faith and Grace, Youth Community Centre Livingstone and Namwianga Mission of Kalomo.

And Mr Chibbabbuka said the cooking oil which was smuggled through the Kazungula Border was intercepted on the Livingstone/Kazungula road between 23 hours and midnight on the 28th of August, 2020.

He said the Commission then seized and forfeited the merchandise, including the truck that was carrying the goods.

Mr. Chibbabbuka said the taxes and duties due on the seized consignment were about K350, 000.

He reiterated that other than just collecting taxes, the Commission had the responsibility to protect industries and promote fair competition which in turn helped to enhance the country’s development.

Mr Chibbabbuka warned importers to desist from smuggling and other forms of tax evasion that deny revenue to the government.

“ZRA will not tolerate any form of smuggling or concealment of goods, as it is our duty to seize and forfeit any goods which have not been duly declared and vessels used in such vices, ” he said.

Mr. Chibbabbuka further said the Commission had stepped up its enforcement activities to curb smuggling and other forms of tax evasion.

And speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Livingstone Central Hospital Medical Superintendent, John Kachimba said it was sad the donation was being made as a result of people doing the wrong thing.

Dr Kachimba said smuggling and tax evasion were detrimental to the country’s development as they affected the vulnerable people in society.

“We represent the same people that tax evaders are depriving; the orphans who need our support; the elderly who need our care and the patients we have the privilege of looking after,” he said.

Dr Kachimba also noted that government had the responsibility to provide certain services and could not manage to do so if citizens did not pay taxes.

“We join the call by ZRA for each and everyone of us to be responsible and pay taxes to ensure government raises the necessary revenues to enable it discharge its responsibilities effectively, ” he said.

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has registered a four percent improvement in freight traffic in 2020 compared to the previous financial year which ended 30 June 2019.

Freight traffic volumes transported by TAZARA for this financial year increased from 175,597 metric tonnes in the 2018/2019 financial year to 182,302 metric tonnes in 2019/2020.

This came to light during the 115th virtual Board Meeting chaired by Permanent Secretaries responsible for Transport in Tanzania and Zambia, Leonard Chamuriho and Misheck Lungu respectively held yesterday.

In a statement to the media in Lusaka yesterday by TAZARA Head of Public Relations, Conrad Simuchile said however, that the performance was suppressed by limitations arising from insufficient and unreliable rolling stock (locomotives and wagons) and two natural disasters (landslide/wash-aways) that occurred during the period under review.

Mr. Simuchile noted that the board also reviewed performance of the passenger traffic which has declined by nine percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the suspension of cross-border passenger trains from March 2020 up to date.

In financial terms, the above performance resulted in overall revenue earnings of US$27.52 million for the financial year ended 30 June 2020, including US$4 million earned from other non-operational income as well as Open Access Fees paid by Calabash Freight Ltd, the private operator plying on the TAZARA line.

He noted that the board also approved a budget proposal for the transportation of 400,000 metric tonnes of freight traffic and 3,400,000 passengers for the year ending 30 June 2021, from which US$48.27 million operational and non-operational income is projected to be generated for operations.

Mr. Simuchile added that the board was happy with the repair and addition of seven Diesel Electric Mainline Locomotives to the current average running fleet of eight mainline locomotives for freight traffic, following the shareholders’ grant subventions in the last three years.

He explained that with the enhancement in motive power, the board expected the challenges that the Authority had been grappling with to reduce.

The board also reviewed and authorized the proposed Revitalization Bankable Business Plan (RBBP) with an investment outlay of US$558 million, which will be submitted to the shareholders for approval and funding, through the TAZARA Council of Ministers.

RBBP will provide a strong short-to-medium term blueprint for the required transformational actions that are anticipated to turnaround the operations of TAZARA and firmly put the Authority on a positive business trajectory, with the desired outcome being the achievement of full operational profitability and self-sustenance by the end of 2021/2022.

Board directed the authority to contract more private operators in the transportation of freight traffic on the TAZARA line through Open Access, which had contributed to a substantial diversion of freight traffic away from the roads and, therefore, aided in slowing down the deterioration of the roads in both countries.

Mr. Simuchile, further stated that the Board also resolved to incorporate the Land Transport Regulatory Authority of Tanzania and the Government Inspector of Railways of Zambia in setting out regulatory procedures and benchmarks for TAZARA’s open access operations.