ZIMRA tightens screws on smugglers
LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) will procure surveillance drones worth US$2m next month as it moves to combat smuggling at the country’s ports of entry.
Government is losing millions of dollars in potential revenue as a result of smuggling.
“The procurement process to purchase the drones has been finalised and a Gantt chart to guide implementation is being finalised,” ZIMRA head of Corporate Communications, Francis Chimanda told Business Times.
Finance and Economic Development Minister, Mthuli Ncube, recently said smuggling has made the local industry uncompetitive as the smugglers sell goods at very low prices.
“After the procurement is done, ZIMRA will enforce controls to avoid importation of restricted or prohibited goods through the Electronic Cargo Tracking system and the system uses GPS/GPRS technology for tracking,” Ncube said.
He said Zimbabwe can only minimise smuggling but cannot completely destroy smuggling as there are some well knitted syndicates which involve the enforcers.
It is believed that the syndicates are composed of foreign nationals, police officers and ZIMRA Customs and Excise officers for the smooth flow of the deal.
It is believed that some foreign nationals who run downtown tuckshops smuggle tonnes of goods every day.
The authorities have placed high taxes on restricted goods to promote local industry but the downtown informal traders saw smuggling as a lucrative deal to supply cheap products at an affordable price.
It has been established that Rwandese, Congolese who come under the banner of investors own the majority of the downtown tuckshops involved in basic goods smuggling.
Millions of unbanked foreign currency circulates in the small area of downtown with authorities remaining silent on the issue.
Last year, Business Times reported that some truck drivers were being used to smuggle goods into Zimbabwe from Durban.
Well-placed sources said the truck drivers will be paid their dues after delivering goods to downtown tuckshops.
ZIMRA is also said to be at an advanced stage to place a CCTV camera system at border posts and strategic areas.
The CCTV system will be linked to a loss control command centre at ZIMRA head office that will have sight of the footage live feed from the border post.
