The Zambia Revenue Authority -ZRA- has suspended and revoked licenses of 25 Clearing and Forwarding Agents, whose cases could have resulted in revenue loss of 6 point 5 million kwacha.
ZRA acting Corporate Communications Manager Robert Zawe says the suspensions arise from forgery, false declarations, and smuggling.
Zawe said the move to suspend and revoke licenses is aimed at strengthening the Authority’s momentum towards full tax compliance and zero-tolerance to fraud and corruption.
He said Clearing agents play a key role in ensuring national security and public revenue collection, and that people involved must be honest enough.
Zawe added that the Authority will continue plucking out those who aid tax evasion and fail to comply with legal requirements.
He told ZNBC News that smuggling of goods through false declarations, forgery, transit fraud, misclassifications, under-declarations, and under-valuations is a serious offence and offenders will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
The authority has since warned all Clearing Agents to desist from engaging themselves in the wrong activities to avoid revocation of their licenses.
Suspensions of licenses sounds like the boss at ZRA didn’t get his cut on the money.