Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is upgrading its digital customs systems and enhancing supporting infrastructure, including scanners and drones resulting in improved efficiency, strengthened revenue collection and reduced delays at the country’s major entry and exit points.
Beitbridge, Plumtree and Victoria Falls border posts are some of the targeted key ports of entry earmarked for faster clearance, round-the-clock services and improved capacity to handle growing volumes of travellers and goods.
Beitbridge border handles an average of 5 000 traders entering and another 5 000 leaving daily, while about 300 traders pass through Victoria Falls, highlighting the need for efficient border infrastructure and systems.
A senior Zimra official, Mr Misheck Govha, told delegates during a recent tax conference in Victoria Falls that digitalisation was central to modernising border operations and facilitating trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“As Zimbabwe has anchored its operations through the digitalisation processes, we’ve noted that without digitalisation as an authority and as a country, we’ll not really cover enough in terms of revenue collection, in terms of trade facilitation. To facilitate trade, we’ve automated our systems in the customs area,” he said.
Mr Govha said Zimra would upgrade the ASYCUDA customs management system this year while improving supporting technologies at border posts through a phased approach.
“We’ve got the ASYCUDA system, which we’re going to upgrade this year. We’re also enhancing with other supportive areas like drones and scanners, as well as you pass through the border. We’re going to do it in a phased approach,” he said.
Beyond digital systems, Zimra is pursuing extended operating hours and one-stop border post arrangements to reduce delays and improve the movement of travellers and goods.
Mr Govha said Victoria Falls was already operating on a 24-hour basis, while discussions were underway on Beitbridge and Plumtree, with one or two one-stop border posts expected to be operational next year.
“Already the negotiations for Vic Falls, which is now on a 24-hour platform. In other words, that’s part of the preparation. Beitbridge is under discussion. Plumtree is under discussion. But next year we should have one or two one-stop-order posts operating,” he said.
“We’re trying to facilitate a 24-hour operation so that at least clients can move throughout the day, throughout the night, and we stop inconveniencing our clients as they cross through the various border posts.”
Victoria Falls primarily facilitates tourist movement between Zimbabwe and Zambia, while Beitbridge handles substantial passenger and trader traffic between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Mr Govha said automation at Beitbridge had helped minimise the time travellers spend clearing the border, demonstrating the benefits of modernised systems in managing high traffic volumes.
The improvements are expected to strengthen Zimbabwe’s competitiveness under AfCFTA, which African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) Head Mr Antony Mananda described as a major opportunity for a continent with more than 1.4 billion people.
“The African Free Continental Trade Area is a massive opportunity for the continent, considering that the continent has a huge population, a youthful population, a market of more than 1.4 billion people.
“That is an enormous opportunity, and so the strategic direction that has been taken by the African union Commission in establishing the Secretariat for the African Continental Free Trade Area is an opportunity all the leaders need to echo and strongly support and effectively implement it,” Mr Mananda said.
He said tax administrations needed to collaborate and share information as cross-border investment expanded.
“It’s a time Africa truly integrates and meaningfully industrialises and expands the domestic resources so that its own people can enjoy the freedom of proper economic liberalisation. Whilst that is going to happen what we’re going to experience is a lot of cross-border investment and trade within the markets starting with the regional economic blocs,” he said.
Mr Mananda stressed that political commitment was essential to harmonising tax systems and ensuring continental integration delivered tangible economic benefits.
“Absolutely, this cannot proceed effectively without the political will so it’s high time the African leaders, the finance ministers through the African union Commission, come together and ensure that there is a clear political pronouncement on the need for the continent to work together to harmonise tax systems and to collaborate so that this opportunity translates to real opportunities and transformation of the continent through meaningful financial freedom,” he said.
The modernisation of Beitbridge, Plumtree and Victoria Falls is expected to strengthen border management, improve service delivery and support Zimbabwe’s participation in regional integration.
