Zimra grounds Bosso's luxury bus

THREE months after taking delivery of a luxury bus imported from South Africa, Highlanders are yet to complete its registration formalities. Highlanders' primary sponsors BancABC last month came to the rescue of the Bulawayo giants by paying import duty of the bus believed to be in the region of $22,000, but the bus is still grounded as they are facing more hurdles in the final registration process.

A source said Zimra has been holding onto the customs clearance certificate (CCC) that is required to get new number plates.

"The club owes PAYE (Pay As You Earn) and they need to come up with a way of servicing it. Highlanders aren't the only club that owe Zimra, but unfortunately they've to make some payment plan and deposit a substantial amount to show commitment before they get the CCC. Many clubs haven't been remitting PAYE and they get caught when they want a tax clearance certificate," said a source.

It could not be established how much the club owes Zimra in unremitted PAYE. Zimra held a workshop last year for all PSL clubs to educate them on tax issues. PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele could not be drawn into commenting about the clubs' standing with Zimra. "As a body, we encourage clubs to be compliant with relevant statutory boards. Most issues are discussed with the PSL governors and it'll not be fair for the league to comment on confidential matters discussed at clubs' meetings," Ndebele said.

Just like Ndebele, Highlanders' chairman Peter Dube chose to be diplomatic when quizzed about the hold up on the bus' registration. He said the club was making frantic efforts to be "compliant with a relevant statutory board" so that they complete the process. "Just like any other company or football team, we're faced with challenges because of the environment that we're operating in. With all things being equal, the process of registration doesn't take a long time but one has to be compliant with all relevant bodies. We're in the process of conforming to the demands of the bodies," said Dube, without naming the statutory body.

After Vice-President Emmerson Mnanganwa officiated at the official hand-over ceremony of the bus at Barbourfields Stadium in June, the general view among Bosso followers was that the club would use the bus to save on transport costs. However, the bus remains parked at the Bosso offices along Robert Mugabe Way in Bulawayo due to the registration hiccups.

The process of getting the bus compliant with statutory requirements in a normal setup takes about three weeks. Highlanders need to register the bus with Zinara through Zimra, who will give them a motor vehicle registration book and number plates, since the luxury coach is an import. To get the number plates, Bosso have to obtain a police clearance from the Vehicle Theft Squad after the cops have checked with their South African counterparts that the bus was properly acquired.

This process, according to sources, takes about 24 hours. Armed with a police clearance, the Bulawayo giants will then proceed to Zimra, produce a customs clearance certificate, motor vehicle insurance and other documentation needed by the taxmen before getting the number plates. Number plates cost $160. With all the documents in order, it should take just two days to get the plates.

The process that takes longer is the application for an operator's licence, which takes up to two weeks. Bosso would have to attach passenger insurance to the operator's licence when taking the coach to be examined by the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID), who will issue them with a road worthiness certificate if the bus has no defects.

The Bulawayo giants also need about five days to apply for a permit. Once Highlanders begin using their bus for away matches, they will make significant savings on their limited resources. At present, Highlanders have been spending at least $1,200 to hire a bus for away games.