500 containers scam: MPs reject TRA report

By James Kandoya

Luhaga Mpina

Industry and Trade Parliamentary Committee has rejected reports of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) saying it misses relevant information on administrative actions taken against its staff implicated in the consignment scandal in which 500 containers were freely cleared out at the Dar es Salaam port without inspection.


Committee chairman Luhaga Mpina (Kisesa-CCM) told The Guardian on Sunday on the sidelines of the committee meeting in Bagamoyo at mid week that the committee ejected and reordered TRA to rewrite the report and come up with the required information in detail, including measures taken to hold its staff accountable.

The committee wrote a letter to TRA recommending that it shows the challenges it encounters in collecting revenues, including showing measures taken against unfaithful staff involved in the containers scam.

Despite that TRA was given enough time to prepare its reports it failed to submit names of traders evading tax and directly passing goods at the port by working with unfaithful staffers, he said.

The committee estimates that the government loses Sh25 billion per month due to consistent importation of cement from Asia, he said.

When cement and other goods arrive at the port yard some customs officials tend to under-declare their quantity for their own and importers’ benefits.

“Tanzanians deserve a better explanation than mere statements from the concerned authority. They don’t just need explanation, but also need to know if anyone was held accountable. All those responsible should be sacked,” he demanded.

“We need to a report that will have all details on scandals where government lost much money from duties on goods passing at the port, including the recent 500 containers scandal,” he emphasized.

Seconding the argument, David Kafulila, (Kasulu East-NCCR) said TRA has failed to submit a report before the committee that explains how the containers were approved and cleared at the port without being detected.

TRA officials must be held accountable since no authority could have approved the import declaration form presented by the local clearing and forwarding agent. “After verifying and approving the import declaration forms, TRA officials check the container — meaning they were fully satisfied with what was in the container,” he affirmed.

Kafulila the containers went through rigorous inspection at the Dar es Salaam port -- before they were cleared. “But despite all these rigorous inspections, our TRA, security and port officials didn’t detect whether there was cheating in those containers,” he stated.

Furthermore Khatibu Saidi Hajji (Konde (CUF) said that the truth is that it’s simply untenable that import of such massive cargo could be cleared without assistance from officials from TRA or the security department at the Dar es Salaam port.

The deal can total be summarized as corruption or gross negligence, he said, noting that TRA was listed as among financial institutions presenting its mission and vision for the financial year 2013/14 before the parliamentary committee for industry and trade. 

SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY