The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has issued a notice stating that cross-border passenger-ferrying buses and imported vehicles from the Far East transiting through Zambia from the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania will no longer be allowed to use the Kariba Border Post as a port of entry. In a statement seen by Pindula News, ZIMRA said the movements will now be required to use Chirundu One-Stop Border Post as the alternative until further notice.
This decision has been made due to high traffic congestion being experienced at Kariba Border Post, which has stretched its current infrastructure beyond its capacity to handle cross-border traffic. The current high traffic volumes have also adversely affected ongoing government projects towards the refurbishment of the Kariba Dam wall structures and the hydro-power plant, both of which are critical national resources given their strategic economic importance. Reads the notice:
RE-DIRECTING OF CROSS BORDER PASSENGER FERRYING BUSES AND THE IMPORTATION OF VEHICLES FROM KARIBA BORDER POST TO CHIRUNDU ONE-STOP BORDER POST
The Commissioner of Customs & Excise wishes to advise all valued stakeholders, cross-border passenger bus operators, importers of vehicles and their clearing agents as well as all cross-border travellers through Kariba, that the Authority has suspended, until further notice, the use of Kariba Border Post as a port of entry for cross border passenger ferrying buses and vehicles imported from the Far East transiting through Zambia from the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. These movements will now be required to use Chirundu One-Stop Border Post as the alternative. This suspension is with effect from Thursday 20 July 2023 until further notice.
This decision comes in the wake of high traffic congestion being experienced at Kariba Border Post which has stretched the current infrastructure beyond its capacity to handle cross-border traffic. The current high traffic volumes have also adversely affected ongoing Government projects towards refurbishment of the Kariba Dam wall structures and the hydro-power plant, both of which are critical national resources given their strategic economic importance.
In liaison with our counterparts in the Zambia Revenue Authority, suitable intervention measures have been put in place to manage the adjustments of the port of entry (Zimbabwe) and port of exit (Zambia) on any declarations that had already been received and processed through the automated platforms of each Authority. All fresh declarations henceforth should reflect the port of exit and/or port of entry aligned to the changes effected by this notice as the case may be.
Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted. All enquiries on the matter should be directed to: karibaprivateimports@zimra.co.zw and customsandexciseregionl©zimra.co.zw