ZRA searching for 72,000 smuggled cars

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 09:55:21 +0000

By BUUMBA CHIMBULU

THE Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) is pursuing over 72, 000 vehicles that were smuggled into the country, registered by the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), but are not in its database.

And ZRA has revealed that it collected K1.4 million from the joint motor vehicle amnesty campaign exercise with the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) undertaken in November 2016.

ZRA Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda told the media in Lusaka yesterday that as at December 9, 2016, a total of 72, 842 vehicles were smuggled into the country representing 19.1 percent of the vehicles that were not accounted for.

Mr. Chanda said the motor vehicle amnesty campaign undertaken by the two institutions in November 2016 revealed that 381, 723 vehicles were registered with RTSA.

He explained that out of the total number of vehicles that entered into the country during the period, 308, 881 vehicles representing 80.0 percent had matching records while 72, 842, representing about 19.1 percent had no matching records.

“These are vehicles of interest to ZRA. We will run a closing reconciliation after 31st December, 2016 to come up with the final list after which we will embark on a vigorous exercise of ensuring that all these vehicles are not allowed on the roads,” Mr. Chanda said.                

He encouraged the public to pay taxes and register their vehicles.

And Mr. Chanda said ZRA collected K1.4 million from the joint motor vehicle amnesty campaign exercise with RTSA undertaken in November 2016.

He said the exercise which started in November 2016 had been extended to December 2016 due to overwhelming response from the members of the public.

“The Authority received 146 applications for amnesty from eight stations and so far we have collected K1.4 million. At the end of the amnesty we shall have about K3.6 million collected. This is how overwhelming the response has been,” he said.

He explained that the exercise has potential revenue amounting to K2.2 million from pending assessments other than the K1.4 million which has already been collected.