NEW DELHI: India Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Gerry Chanda, said that government is concerned about the revenue losses it is incurring through rampant smuggling of goods into the country.
Colonel Chanda said Government through the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) is losing colossal sums of money due to smuggling.
Col. Chanda said this at his office when British American Tobacco (BAT) country managing director Clara Milambo paid a courtesy call on him.
“Smuggling is of great concern to the country because we are losing colossal sums of money,” Col. Chanda said.
He said smuggling is a form of organised crime because some officers at borders posts are involved.
Col. Chanda, however, said Government is not sitting idly by because law enforcers are aware of the vice and will soon pounce on the perpetrators.
“This is an issue that cannot be dealt with by Government alone but needs the efforts of everyone and we will soon start engaging neighbouring countries because they are also affected,” Col Chanda said.
And Ms Milambo said measures should be put in place to curb smuggling because the vice is affecting the tobacco industry.
She said smuggling of cigarettes has increased in the past year and this has resulted in a reduction in taxes that BAT remits to Government.
“In 2012, we remitted K188 million, K222 millon in 2013 and K159 million last year and the drop in taxes is attributed to illicit trade,” Ms Milambo said.
She said most of the smuggled cigarettes have no tax stamps on them and Government might lose more money this year if nothing is done about the situation.
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