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The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) plans to introduce a pre-clearance system in passengers where traders will be able to declare goods and make payments using the digital platforms even before they reach the border.
ZRA Commissioner-General, Dingani Banda, said this on Tuesday when he toured the Nakonde One Stop Border Post (OSBP).
Banda said this was part of reforms being implemented at border posts for quick clearance for goods and passengers.
“So, these are some of the strategic reforms that we are working on. We know that the pace of execution tends to be slow.
“We would like to appeal to all stakeholders that let us work together and ensure that this vision that we have of transforming the processes at the border is achieved.
“There are always comparisons between the Zambian side and the Botswana side, people saying it is taking few hours to clear on the Botswana side.
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“This good intension by the government of reducing the number of agencies is now connecting the system, so that we reduce on the number of pay points. These are some of the reforms we are taking so that we reduce the number of processes,” he said.
Banda stated that the tax authority was implementing various strategic reforms in border posts to ensure tourists and cross border traders were not subjected to multiple processes when clearing their goods.
He added that one of the strategic reforms was the implementation of the Coordinated Border Management (CBM) model which had reduced the number of border agencies from 16 to six.
Banda said some Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have also been signed between ZRA and some of the agencies which have been removed from the borders, to enable the authority carry out their activities.
“We have started the implementation of the Coordinated Border Management where MoUs have been signed among the institutions. Some of the institutions have moved out of the borders and we have taken up the responsibility of handling some of their processes.
“For example, the toll fees now under the Road Transport and Safety Agency are being collected by ZRA. Overall, what we intend to achieve is an environment where we do not subject both the tourists and the cross-border traders to multiple checks, multiple interventions,” he said.
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