The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has called on the authorities to close the high number of illegal entry points along the country’s borders which are used to smuggle goods into the country. CZI has said that smuggling needs to be curbed in order for the country to develop economically. The Part of a report compiled by Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, Border Management Committee chairperson, Salie Khan reads,
There are 16 legal ports of entry and an estimated 32 illegal entry routes along the Zimbabwean borders. Law enforcement agencies have highlighted lack of resources to effectively carry out their border management duties. They have inadequate transportation, and where transportation for patrols is available, it is not suitable for the kinds of terrain they have to navigate.
…The illicit nature of smuggling makes it difficult to quantify the exact amount of goods smuggled into the country. However, a visit to the Central Business District (CBD) will reveal the extent of the vice when looking at the number of selling points for smuggled goods as most pavements in the CBD are littered with vendors selling smuggled goods.
CZI president, Sifelani Jabangwe added
As industry, our concern is that the fiscus is losing out a lot because these goods do not simply pay duty and they are sold at cheaper prices…The first thing in turning the country into a middle-class economy is to act in stopping smuggling.
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