- July 8, 2020
- Posted by: Mildred Chama
- Category: ZRA News
The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) is clamping down fuel smuggling scams resulting in three trucks being impounded at the ZRA Makeni Enforcement Center.
The trucks were declared as transit Cargo to DRC by Fedrol Cargo Logistics, a Zambian Clearing Agent.
One of the trucks carrying fuel worth over one million kwacha was being monitored to appreciate and understand how exactly the scam was happening.
The alert ZRA officials had to wait for the truck to start offloading the consignment in the light industrial area to document the evidence and consequently impound the truck.
In a media statement, ZRA Corporate Communications Manager, Topsy Sikalinda said, “the consignment was declared as transit fuel going to Congo DRC but was offloaded at a known filling station in Zambia without paying any taxes”.
Further, he said, “the Authority has blocked the Tax Payer Identification Number (TPIN) of the clearing company”.
The Authority is aware of transit fraud that is currently happening and warns all people involved that the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them.
“We are monitoring the situation and gathering all the evidence to ensure that prosecution in the courts of law is fully successful,” he added.
The ZRA is also exploring a partnership with Congo to ensure that information exchange is done on all transits. This will result in all transits declared to be pre-cleared in the Congo before they are allowed to transit in Zambia as part of revenue protection measures for both countries.