By 
Clearing agents from Mwami and Chanida border posts have hailed an electronic system which will allows them to apply for a certificate of origin online.
The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) introduced Rules of Origin System to allow manufacturers and importers apply for a certificate of origin online.
A certificate of origin is a document declaring in which country products or goods were manufactured from.
Agents from Mwami and Chanida border posts were, therefore, from Monday to Friday last week, trained on how to apply for this certificate online by ZRA.
The training was facilitated by the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry with support from the European Union in Chipata Province.
Some agents spoken to after the training expressed confidence that the electronic system would improve efficiency and cut down on costs as they previously used to travel to Lusaka to apply for the certificate as it was done manually.
A clearing agent from Mwami One Stop Border Post (OSBP), under Africa Global Logistics, Esther Kasunga, was happy that her firm would no longer be traveling to Lusaka to get the certificate.
Kasunga was also happy that agents would no longer be paying for the certificate like was in the past where they paid about K800.
“The manual one was not on a free basis when you apply, you have to pay about K800. In the manual certificates there was also fraud and mistakes because with the certificate there is nothing like I will counter sign. It should be clean until ZRA signs it. Now with this system, all those have been erased,” she said.
Another clearing agent from ZALAT Logistics operating both at Mwami and Chanida border posts, Stephen Banda, said agents would not be grabbing business from each other with the coming of the electronic system because the code number would only belong to a specific agent connected to the exporter.
Banda was also happy that the certificate would bow be free and that it would only take five working days to access it.
“The system has brought a lot of opportunities to us as we should be able to create a certificate of origin like in COMESA and SADC certificates whereby previously, we were getting it manually which were very costly.
“For someone to have this certificate, they had to go to Lusaka to apply for it and it was very costly. With the coming of change of management, we as agents have been trained how to create and how to have it electronically,” he said.
Meanwhile, Moses Kaumbu, an agent from Chanida border under ABRAMO said: “This is a very good move as Government will be able to monitor how much we are exporting as it will be on the system unlike in the past where it was just documented.”
Masautso Phiri, operating from both Chanida and Mwami stated: “Process was very long for someone to clear the consignment at the border then but with the online one, the benefits will be there and the process will be quicker.”
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments