News / National
Duty collection not for police, says Zimra
19 Sep 2014 at 09:22hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has advised cross-border shoppers to demand identity documents from police officers confiscating their goods on the pretext they would be acting on behalf of the revenue-collection body.
Responding to a question from the floor at a meeting held in Bulawayo yesterday, Amen Muchena of Zimra said only his organisation was mandated to collect duty from anyone importing goods and police can only assist but were not mandated to collect duty.
"I don't know what police would be asking for but I suggest you ask for their identities. They should give you detailed notices of seizure like we do. As Zimra, we give you details of the required duty and anyone wishing to seize your goods should give you their details," said Muchena.
A woman had asked why police duplicated the role of Zimra officials to demand duty from cross-border traders and other travellers at numerous roadblocks, usually found on roads leading from border posts, when it was the duty of Zimra.
Most cross-border shoppers have complained of police stopping them and asking for duty from people who would have cleared their goods at the border. Muchena said police, as the law-enforcing agents, were in line to demand customs declaration forms but were not expected to demand duty.
Muchena was part of a Zimra team invited to meet informal traders in Bulawayo, which was facilitated by the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations.
The Zimra team took time to explain to the informal traders, mostly vendors, how duty was charged and the different brackets of taxes used by the country's revenue-collection body.
They, however, said by virtue of paying rentals to local authorities, vendors were already paying presumptive tax.
In cases where people traded from their homes or rented accommodation, the amount would be collected from the lessor of the premises, said Muchena.
Zimra, like most government arms, is using exhaustive means to collect revenue for the state, which has been
struggling to pay salaries for its workers.
Muchena advised the informal traders body to lobby government for a reduction in the pre-sumptive tax saying the small-scale miners had successfully appealed to have it reduced to 2%.
Responding to a question from the floor at a meeting held in Bulawayo yesterday, Amen Muchena of Zimra said only his organisation was mandated to collect duty from anyone importing goods and police can only assist but were not mandated to collect duty.
"I don't know what police would be asking for but I suggest you ask for their identities. They should give you detailed notices of seizure like we do. As Zimra, we give you details of the required duty and anyone wishing to seize your goods should give you their details," said Muchena.
A woman had asked why police duplicated the role of Zimra officials to demand duty from cross-border traders and other travellers at numerous roadblocks, usually found on roads leading from border posts, when it was the duty of Zimra.
Most cross-border shoppers have complained of police stopping them and asking for duty from people who would have cleared their goods at the border. Muchena said police, as the law-enforcing agents, were in line to demand customs declaration forms but were not expected to demand duty.
Muchena was part of a Zimra team invited to meet informal traders in Bulawayo, which was facilitated by the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations.
The Zimra team took time to explain to the informal traders, mostly vendors, how duty was charged and the different brackets of taxes used by the country's revenue-collection body.
They, however, said by virtue of paying rentals to local authorities, vendors were already paying presumptive tax.
In cases where people traded from their homes or rented accommodation, the amount would be collected from the lessor of the premises, said Muchena.
Zimra, like most government arms, is using exhaustive means to collect revenue for the state, which has been
struggling to pay salaries for its workers.
Muchena advised the informal traders body to lobby government for a reduction in the pre-sumptive tax saying the small-scale miners had successfully appealed to have it reduced to 2%.
Source - Zim Mail
