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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
VEHICLE imports have dropped by an average 29 percent since the beginning of September following the enforcement of new customs regulations. According to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), the number of imported vehicles passing through the Beitbridge Border Post is on a downward trend. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa increased surtax for second hand vehicle imports from 25 percent to 30 percent starting September 1.
The move is part of fiscal measures contained in the 2015 mid-term budget review statement. Import duty for most vehicles rose from 86 to 95 percent inclusive of 40 percent duty, 35 percent surtax and 15 percent VAT. Zimra director of legal and corporate affairs, Florence Jambwa confirmed the new trend.
“Vehicle imports have generally decreased in September compared to August. You’ll note that between September 1 and 14, vehicles imported and processed were 610, a decrease when compared to the same period last month where a total of 864 vehicles were cleared,” she said.
“At the moment we’re processing between 31 and 65 vehicles per day compared to 32-133 vehicles per day in August. Please note that importations in the month of August 2015 may have been higher as clients tried to clear vehicles before the increase in surtax and could be lower in September due to the higher clearances done in August.”
Jambwa said the mid-term fiscal review also saw certain goods being excluded from the traveller’s rebate of $300 per person. They include cooking oil, flour, maize meal, sugar, meat, fish, powdered milk, yoghurts, cheese, eggs, corn puffs, jam and honey, beds and mattresses. Laundry bar soap, stoves, refrigerators and blankets were already excluded from the traveller’s rebate before 1 September 2015.
Online Reporter