Maravi

Government prods ZRA to lead fight against corruption

Government prods ZRA to lead fight against corruption
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Wed 25 Jan. 2012, 13:53 CAT

FINANCE deputy minister Alfridah Kansembe has challenged Zambia Revenue Authority officers to own the fight against corruption because they face a lot of challenges with businessmen dangling carrots in their face.

And the Zambia Revenue Authority has constantly exceeded the International Monetary Fund target by raising K6.5 billion at the Victoria Falls border post.

Speaking when she visited the Victoria Falls border post on her continued familiarisation tour of border facilities, Kansembe urged Zambia Revenue Authority officers to remove the tag of Zambia being known as a corrupt country.

"Let us fight corruption to the bitter end. We need to own the fight against corruption if we are to raise more revenue so that we can develop. With corruption, we will not develop, let us try all efforts to fight the vice," said Kansembe.

Victoria Falls border station manager Alex Zulu said the post last year exceeded the IMF target for border posts by one per cent.

"We try to be as effective as possible so that we minimise delays in traffic flow at the border. We also have a simplified trade regime which was agreed between Zambia and Zimbabwe to help small traders grow their business by not paying duty on certain goods," he said.

Zulu said the border, however, faced a lot of challenges such as staff shortage and deplorable office furniture.

And assistant commissioner for customs Nase Lungu said the border post needed banking facilities to help tourists transact in different currencies.

Later at the ZRA port office, Lungu told Kansembe that smuggling has been greatly reduced following the establishment of a joint operations system with neighbouring countries, hence reducing the use of canoes on the river.

And Southern Province minister Miles Sampa said the ZRA at Kazungula faced a major challenge in that the border post was porous.

"We need to police the river as a lot of people jump out of the pontoon before it docks in full view of officers and there is nothing they can do. We are losing a lot of revenue at the post," said Sampa.

Labels: CORRUPTION, IMF, MILES SAMPA, ZRA

posted by MrK @ 2:03 PM