For immediate release
31st August, 2023
The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has unearthed a transit fraud scheme involving a truck with a 40-foot container load of safety Matches.
Acting on a tip off, the ZRA officers incepted the empty truck along Great North Road after the cartons of match sticks (matches) had been off loaded in Kabwe.
The match stick boxes were purported to be transiting to Zimbabwe from Nakonde when in fact they were destined for Kabwe at a known business premise.
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.
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.
The 40-foot container carried about 2923 cartons of match boxes with estimated taxes pegged at K600,000 based on the guaranteed taxes in Tanzania that were declared at an equivalent of US$30000.
This being a clear case of transit fraud, the Authority has impounded the truck bearing registration number AJE 6994 (horse) and ALC 9051T (trailer).
Transit fraud is one of the many schemes used by smugglers to evade import duties and taxes associated with importations.
The Authority has continued to explore different technology initiatives like the use of Non-Intrusive Inspection that enables inspection of cargo without unloading. All of this in an effort to reduce on leakages that continue to frustrate mobilization of revenue.
ZRA encourages 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. This will ensure that there is fair competition by traders within the various industries/ sectors.
Issued by
Oliver Nzala
ZRA Corporate Communications Manager