adminTHE Customs and Excise Tariff, published in Statutory Instrument (SI) 111 of 2012 and the Value Added Tax (VAT) Regulations published in SI 273 of 2003 (as amended), provides for lower rates of duty on the importation of vital agricultural goods/products. The table below shows a list of some of the goods that can be imported duty-free or at reduced rates.
How are the goods cleared?
If the goods listed above are imported for commercial purposes, Customs clearance is done on a Bill of Entry. A Bill of Entry is a Customs document used to clear imported goods. It is processed in the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) system. Importers are required by law to be registered by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) and will be assigned Business Partner Numbers to use when importing goods. Importers are also encouraged to engage ZIMRA registered professional clearing agents because of complexities of the valuation and the Harmonised Tariff Systems. The Harmonised Tariff System is a special way in which goods are coded for Customs clearance on importation.
The following documents are required when clearing commercial importations:
- Bill of entry (Form 21)
- Suppliers’ invoices
- Agricultural permits for plant and animal products
- Export or transit Bills of Entry from the country of export (where applicable)
- Bill of lading (where applicable)
- Consignment notes, for instance rail advice notes or air way bill or bill of lading
- Freight statements
- Cargo manifests
- Insurance statement
- Copy of tax clearance certificate
Calculation of Duty
Duty is calculated on the basis of costs, insurance and freight (CIF) value of the imported goods up to the point of entry into Zimbabwe. Insurance and freight inside Zimbabwe is excluded from the value for duty purposes (VDP). The CIF value of imported goods is an aggregate of the cost of goods, insurance, freight and any other incidental charges, for example storage incurred outside Zimbabwe.
Disclaimer
This article was compiled by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority for information purposes only. ZIMRA shall not accept responsibility for loss or damage arising from use of material in this article and no liability will attach to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
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Bongani Ndlovu