Zim Now Writer
The days could be numbered for those who pay bus crews in order to either avoid paying duty or bring in prohibited goods into the country as the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) mooing seizure of the vehicles and hefty fines as a deterrent.
Travellers are allowed to bring in US$200 or R3 000 worth of goods into the country duty-free but most are conniving with bus crews to bring in groceries, genetically modified goods, banned cough syrups, alcoholic drinks, chicken and fish.
Zimra senior manager at Beitbridge, William Gadzikwa has since written to bus companies after catching several of them on the wrong side of the law, warning them of new punitive measures to deal with non-compliant transporters.
The new measures are being implemented with immediate effect.
“Failure to comply with the set rules and regulations will result in punitive fines being imposed and as a last resort seizure and forfeiture of your buses will be effected especially for repeated offences,” wrote Gadzikwa in the letter.
“We have noted the following issues, which are of major concern at our border and are affecting revenue collection, trade and travel facilitation.
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“In some instances, the buses are carrying goods from South Africa which are not manifested from the point of loading and some are not pre-clearing commercial goods as required by the customs laws.”
Zimra also noted an increase in buses carrying prohibited goods from South Africa among them chickens, fish and yoghurt. Where necessary, the importers are expected to acquire the required permits from the relevant Government department.
Gadzikwa said some bus crews were not offloading the goods at the border for compliance checks as laid down in the customs import and export procedures.
The senior Zimra official said that with immediate effect bus crew were expected to follow the laid down procedures to ensure smoot travel as well as compliance with customs laws for the good of the country.
The head of the security task force deployed at the border with South Africa, Chief Superintendent Bekezela Ndlovu, said last week alone, her unit had intercepted 12 buses carrying illegal contraband from South Africa which had since been seized by Zimra.
She added that they had also intercepted 140 buses with under-declared goods and the owners were made to top up the duty and they were released.
Currently, a total of 100 buses, 3 000 light vehicles and between 900 and 1 000 commercial trucks use the Beitbridge Border Post daily, making it the busiest port of entry in the country.
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