Maravi

Stop accusing us of delaying clearing process, agents tell ZRA

Stop accusing us of delaying clearing process, agents tell ZRA
By Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday February 19, 2008 [03:00]

AN association for clearing agents has advised the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to be committed to clearing goods within two hours as per its promise and stop accusing agents of delaying the clearing process. Reacting to ZRA director of research and planning Dr Samuel Bwalya’s statement that clearing agents were causing unnecessary congestions at the borders, Customs Clearing and Freight Forwarding Agents Association of Zambia (CCFFAAZ) president Bruce Kaemba said Dr Bwalya should stop misleading the public.

He said ZRA had assured that it would be clearing goods within two hours but it was strange that Dr Bwalya was now saying the process would take one and half days.

“At the introduction of the ASYCUDA++(Automated Systems for Customs Data), the agents were told that the processing time would be under two hours, now the director is saying days. It makes one wonder who to believe, but to us it shows squarely that Dr Bwalya does not know what he is talking about,” he said.

Kaemba said ZRA perpetually had problems with its new ASYCUDA++ system.
“But never have the agents gone to the press to issue statements on delays in entry processing, neither has there been any finger pointing over the delays caused,” he said.

“We wish to advise the ZRA management, most especially the customs and excise division, not to go against what has been agreed in the recent past that we should resolve such matters by discussing them first before the general public is misinformed.”
He warned that his association would not take kindly to utterances that were meant to tarnish the image of clearing agents.

“We are key players in the collection of government revenue on behalf of ZRA,” said Kaemba.

Dr Bwalya recently said clearing agents were causing unnecessary delays in the clearing of goods at borders.

Last month, clearing agents protested at Nakonde Border post over ZRA’s delays in clearing the goods due to the new clearing system.

Labels: BORDERS, ZRA

posted by MrK @ 7:30 AM