LILIAN CHIKANDI writes
CHIRUNDU Forum activist Kawana Mwangala has commended Government and Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo for quickly settling the grievances between clearing agents and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) at Chirundu border on Saturday.
Mr Mwangala hopes that Government will carefully study the clearing agents’ petition and act quickly to avoid another protest that has the potential to weaken the country’s treasury.
He said many youths in Chirundu were working as agents and helping Government to collect the needed revenue.
Last week, on Friday Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo assured the clearing agents at Chirundu one-stop border post that Government had heard their petition and would study it to reach an amicable solution.
Addressing the clearing agents at ZRA commercial terminal, Mr Lusambo said Government was very concerned about the operations at the border and wanted to have first-hand information and appreciate the challenges raised by the clearing agents.
The agents were demanding the transfer of assistant commissioner Chama Chikumbi, senior collector Chimuka Chindongwe and examining officer Steven Miti.
“The reason I have come is to harmonise the situation between the clearing agents and the ZRA senior officers at Chirundu border. I regret the protest that has paralysed the works here, but I am here to restore harmony and assure you that Government is aware of what is happening here,” Mr Lusambo said.
He said the Patriotic Front (PF) was a pro-poor government and would ensure that the local people of Chirundu benefitted from the border activities.
Mr Lusambo said clearing agents were the major ZRA stakeholders who were useful in the collection of taxes.
The clearing agents’ representatives Mike Kapila, Gorge Bota and Agness Mubiana Chilumbu presented their challenges in the clearing process to the minister.
They complained of delayed cancelation of entries, low staff levels at ZRA, lack of respect and intimidation among other challenges that they said were contributing to congestion, affected Zambia’s neighbour, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
However, Mr Lusambo assured the agents that there would be great change and sanity but asked them to desist from talking on behalf of ZRA junior officers.
Mr Lusambo, who was accompanied by Lusaka Province deputy secretary Freza Musonda, also held a meeting with ZRA officers and assured the accused three senior officers that their jobs were protected.
He, however, warned the junior officers who were leaking ZRA information to the clearing agents that if they continued doing that they would be fired.
And speaking on behalf of ZRA officers at Chirundu border, Mr Chimuka Chindongwe thanked the minister for coming to restore sanity in operations at the border.
Operations have since resumed at Chirundu border and clearing agents have resumed work at their offices.
Earlier, Mr Lusambo held a meeting with all government heads of department and encouraged them to work hard in line with the PF’s Seventh National Development Plan to develop the nation.
He also warned the civil servants to desist from involving themselves in active politics because they were not politicians.
Mr Lusambo called for concerted participation in the ‘Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Health’ campaign.
