ZRA Closing In On Fuel Smuggling Scams

The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) says it is closing in on fuel smuggling scams, having already impounded three trucks at the authority’s enforcement centre in Makeni.

ZRA Corporate Communications Manager Topsy Sikalinda said one of the trucks, carrying over K1 million worth of fuel, was being monitored to understand exactly how the scam was happening. 

The trucks were declared transit cargo to the Democratic Republic of Congo by Fedrol Cargo Logistics, a Zambian clearing agent. 

Once an alert was triggered, ZRA officials waited for the truck to start offloading its consignments in a light industrial area before they could impound the vehicle and document the evidence.

Mr Sikalinda said that fuel had been declared as transit fuel going to the DRC but was in fact offloaded in Zambia without paying any taxes.

The ZRA has since decided to suspend the tax payer ID number for Fedrol Cargo following the incident. 

“We are monitoring the situation and gathering all the evidence to ensure that prosecution in the courts of law is fully successful,” Mr Sikalinda said. “The Authority is exploring a partnership with Congo to ensure that information exchange is done on all transits”. 

This partnership will result in all transits being pre-cleared in the Congo before being transported to Zambia as part of revenue protection measures for both countries.