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THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is investigating some of its customs officers who are deployed at Manica Transit Shed where paper work for vehicle imports into the country through Beitbridge border post is processed.It is understood that at least four revenue officers are under investigations for either undervaluing vehicles or altering customs documents.
Sources within the organisation said this week that some of the officers were allegedly working with car dealers from either Harare or Bulawayo who import most of the vehicles on a daily basis. The investigations are reported to have been upped recently as Zimra intensified its zero-tolerance to corruption campaign.
According to sources, a revenue officer who had been attached to the Compliance Section before her redeployment to the Vehicles Section was last week issued with a written warning for misconduct.
She was reportedly accused of changing manufacture dates for some vehicles resulting in buyers of the vehicles paying less excise duty.
The number of vehicles involved is yet to be ascertained though on average a vehicle attracts customs duty of between $2 000 and $2 500.
Excise duty for vehicles is determined by the year of manufacture, primary fuel and transmission (either automatic or manual).
“Things went bad when it was discovered by one of our bosses that this woman was in the habit of altering years of manufacture for vehicles.
Our challenge is that we are now using the Asycuda plus system which is internet based and linked to our national grid where anyone from the organisation can check our transactions,” said the source.
One of the supervisors reportedly discovered the anomaly and then alerted the human resources department who then warned the officer.
Zimra’s spokesman Mr Canisio Mudzimu did not respond to the written questions. The parastatal introduced the Asycuda World (Automated System for Customs Data) in October 2011 which is a more efficient and advanced system for customs data processing since it is internet based.
This means that any clearing agent registered with Zimra could lodge a bill of entry from anywhere in the world where there is internet connectivity. Communication between Zimra and the agent is therefore done electronically. The system is, however, not water tight.
Early this year, Zimra suspended three officers at Beitbridge Border post on allegations of corruption and facilitating the smuggling of several commercial goods into the country.
In November last year five other officers at Beitbridge Border post were also suspended on allegations of corruption and facilitating the clearance of several commercial goods into the country without permits.
Online Reporter