Govt moves to plug revenue leaks at Beitbridge border post

Government has secured $600 000 to curb leakages at Beitbridge Border Post and ensure maximum revenue collection, Home Affairs Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo has said.

Dr Chombo, who heads a Cabinet crack team set up to look into operations at the border, made the remarks during a tour of Beitbridge recently.

He was accompanied by Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidakwa and Deputy Minister for Industry and Commerce Chiratidzo Mabuwa.

He said the country was losing a lot of potential revenue through underhand activities at ports of entry.

Members of the inter-ministerial team include the Ministers of Finance and Economic Development, Mines and Mining Development, Environment Water and Climate, Industry and Commerce, and Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development.

"Most of our funding is coming from the Ministry of Mines, and we have secured a total of $600 000 that we are using to upgrade operations to stop all intrusive leakages at Beitbridge. We have bought some motor bikes and vehicles for patrols along the boundary line.

"Lie detectors have also been acquired so that we curb corruption among workers at this border post," he said.

Dr Chombo said they had acquired CCTV cameras, which have already been installed at Beitbridge and were awaiting commissioning.

Dr Chombo said they were also working on setting up a new border perimeter fence to replace the one which was heavily vandalised by criminals.

"Mobile and luggage scanners are now in use, and we will do everything in our power to increase the revenue collection capacity.

"It is sad that the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is collecting $800 000 instead of a daily average of $1,2 million," he said.

Dr Chombo said Government will soon introduce polygraph tests that will see workers at the border posts being subjected to lie detector tests, which is the norm internationally.