ZRA Strikes Daily Meat Products for smuggling

Topsy Sikalinda

Topsy Sikalinda

The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has pounced on Daily Meat Products Limited for smuggling goods worth over K1.2 million in unpaid duty and taxes.

Facts are that Daily Meat Products Limited has been undervaluing and falsifying invoices to facilitate smuggling contrary to section 149 of the Customs and Excise Act CAP 322 of the laws of Zambia.

ZRA Corporate Communications Manager Topsy Sikalinda tells QTV News in a statement that for example, on 7th November 2017, the company imported goods through the Victoria Falls Border Post on entry No. C3235 at the value of K119, 540.00 instead of K1, 062,700 as per original Invoice.

Mr. Sikalinda says on this particular undervaluation, the people of Zambia through the Government lost K 168, 859.00 in taxes and duties not paid.

He states that this prompted ZRA to launch an investigation for the period January 2015 to 27th November 2017 to establish the correctness of their valuations and declarations to the Authority.

He explains that a search was conducted at both the plant and residences of the directors in accordance with the law and several documents, computers and two mobile phones belonging to the directors were collected for retrieval and analysis of evidence at the newly acquired ZRA forensic laboratories.

Mr. Sikalinda furthermore states that that the ZRA forensic experts have done a great job so far using the sophisticated equipment in the newly acquired laboratories in Lusaka.

He says it has so far been established that imports under this company were grossly undervalued and the illegality may have been perpetrated by the logistics consultant, clearing agent, accountant and runner as they were the ones entrusted with the responsibility of handling the imports.

 

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