Maravi

RTSA partners with ZSIC on road taxes issuance

RTSA partners with ZSIC on road taxes issuance
By Kabanda Chulu in Kitwe
Thu 07 July 2011, 04:01 CAT

ROAD Transport Safety Agency has partnered with ZSIC Group of Companies to decentralise the issuance of road taxes that will now be done at the insurance company’s branches across the country.

And RTSA head of information technology Cytone Kibela has said the institution was in the process of acquiring equipment that will allow the outsourcing of motor vehicle inspection and registration to the private sector.

In an interview at the just-ended Zambia International Trade Fair, RTSA principal publicity officer Mercy Khozi said the partnership will enable people access RTSA services since ZSIC is found in almost all districts in the country.

“We opened a tender for expression of interest and ZSIC was selected and through this innovation, we intend to decentralise the issuance of road taxes and it will also help people when paying for insurance they also pay for RTSA services and we plan to establish kiosks where people can access our services,” Khozi said.

“We also hope to decongest our offices whenever people want to pay for these services but congestion is people’s problem since they wait until the last day hence coming at the same time and yet they can buy these certificates in January for the whole year.”

She said RTSA was actively implementing the global UN programme on decade of action aimed at reducing road accidents.

“We believe road safety is a health matter and we have to ensure that all vehicles are roadworthy although 95 per cent of accidents are caused by drivers even when driving good cars because they disobey simple traffic rules and signals such as don’t drink and drive and not to talk on mobile phones,” said Khozi.

“As RTSA we are doing our best to prevent accidents and we have partnered with various stakeholders like forming clubs in schools and using role models like Muna Singh, Precious Mumbi and actor Jason from Kabanana, in a bid to raise awareness and highlight issues of road safety.”

And explaining the 2011 ZITF theme ‘Innovation for competitiveness,’ Kibela said RTSA was looking at ways of implementing the public-private partnership (PPP).

“Once the private sector meets RTSA standards we shall use their premises such as garages as motor vehicle inspection centres of excellence where services like registration of vehicles, physical inspection, new registration, change of ownership, renewal of fitness certificates, will be undertaken and RTSA will just monitor the process electronically,” said Kibela.

“We shall also implement plate scanner whereby RTSA will just scan registration number and all details about the vehicle will be detected.”

Labels: DECENTRALIZATION, RTSA, TAXATION

posted by MrK @ 4:46 PM