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Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has engaged more than 200 cross border traders from Kazungula district of Southern Province.
This is in an effort to close the information gap regarding the application of taxes.
ZRA’s Corporate Communications Manager, Oliver Nzala, said the Authority was concerned with lack of information on taxes, saying they were working on closing this gap.
Read More: ZRA implements programme to facilitate secure, legitimate trade across borders
ZRA has noticed that to a large extent, there is lack of information, creating a gap between traders and ourselves. We want to close this information gap.
“Sometimes there are these simple procedures that you can do on your own and because you do not know, you are giving a clearing agent. What we do not want is for traders to take the route of smuggling,” Nzala told cross border traders at a meeting in Lusaka on Wednesday.
He talked about the measures ZRA was implementing to expediate trade processes such as the Coordinated Border Management which was being piloted at the Kazungula One Stop Border Post (OSBP).
Nzala also cited the baggage scanner which was recently taken to Mwami border post and now being used to expedite trade and movement of passengers.
He announced that ZRA would release a tax incentive guide for traders.
“To support businesses and individuals like you, ZRA is working on a tax incentive guide. So, this will be a booklet which will show all the goods that do not attract customs duty and Value Added Tax (VAT).
“Some of them you will find that they do not have duty but they have VAT. This is meant to support the SMEs so that you grow your business and in the long term become larger tax payers,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Association of Zambia-Botswana Cross Border Deputy National Secretary, Jack Malambo, encouraged traders to actively participate in the meeting.
“We must be ready to fire them with questions you like asking us about taxes. I wish to emphasise that if you want to ask question, ask in a language that you understand. I want us to be free,” he said.
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