By NATION REPORTER
THE Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has unearthed a transit fraud scheme involving a truck with a 40-foot container load of safety Match which was loaded with about 2, 923 cartons of match boxes with estimated taxes pegged at K600,000.
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ZRA Corporate Communications Manager, Oliver Nzala said the 40-foot container was carrying match boxes with guaranteed taxes in Tanzania that were declared at an equivalent of US$30000.
Mr Nzala said acting on a tip off from the public, ZRA officers incepted the empty truck along Great North Road after the cartons of match sticks (matches) had been off loaded in Kabwe.
Mr Nzala said the match stick boxes were purported to be transiting to Zimbabwe from Nakonde when in fact were destined for Kabwe at a known business premise.
He said the driver of the intercepted truck led ZRA officers to the place where the boxes of Safety Matches were offloaded and verification by officers revealed that the boxes of safety Matches were clearly marked as specifically manufactured for the market in Zambia, on behalf of a named Kabwe based company.
Mr Nzala said the officers also found a broken ZRA seal at the premises of the importer in Kabwe where the declared transit consignment had been off loaded.
He said the incident being a clear case of transit fraud, ZRA impounded the truck bearing registration number AJE 6994 (horse) and ALC 9051T (trailer).
“Transit fraud was one of the many schemes used by smugglers to evade import duties and taxes associated with importations,” he said.
Mr Nzala said ZRA has continued to explore different technology initiatives like the use of Non-Intrusive Inspection that enables inspection of cargo without unloading and everything in an effort to reduce on leakages that continue to frustrate mobilization of revenue.
He encouraged all taxpayers to pay their fair share of taxes and remain complaint with tax laws in order to avoid punitive enforcement measures including prosecution and forfeiture of vehicles conveying smuggled goods to ensure that there is fair competition by traders within the various sectors.
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