ZRA seizes salaula imported as surgical gloves

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 11:58:07 +0000

By Chikumbi Katebe

OVER three hundred bales of second hand clothes disguised as medical gloves have been confiscated by the Zambia Revenue Authority at Nakonde border worth about K170 000 in taxes.

ZRA corporate communications manager Oliver Nzala said in a statement that some unscrupulous traders tried to smuggle 310 bales of second hand clothes commonly known as salaula into Zambia under the pretexts that the contraband contained surgical gloves to avoid paying full value import duty.

Mr Nzala explained that alert ZRA officers intercepted the bales after a physical inspection of the goods when the owner had already indicated they were surgical gloves.

“The importer declared that the goods were surgical gloves, hence only paid K324 for Asycuda processing fee because surgical gloves are duty free. But the physical inspection revealed that the goods were second hand clothes and not surgical gloves as declared,” he said.

Mr Nzala explained that the seizure took place on Saturday, 10th December, 2016 and the Authority has since seized both the truck and the goods for the offence of false declaration.

He said it has been established that the goods were falsely declared under a wrong Taxpayer Identification Number, commonly known as TPIN, which should not be the case.

The second hand clothes were valued at total amount of K170 000 in taxes, which the Government could have lost if not for the attentive officers at the border.

ZRA has since intensified its operations in all regions to curb smuggling and all other avenues that lead to loss of Government revenue as a result of such activities.

And Mr Nzala has announced that the Authority has decided to begin confiscating both the truck and the cargo whenever there was any attempted smuggling to try and discourage transporters from engaging in the illegal acts.