Meticulous study on port containers scam underway

BILHAM KIMATI

SERIOUS study is underway to find out how more than 2,400 containers disappeared from the port of Dar es Salaam without proper revenue collection, a rip-off that prompted Prime Minister (PM), Mr Kassim Majaliwa, to swing into action.

Mid this week, the PM paid an impromptu visit to inspect the port’s receiving and clearing cargo system following reports that 2,431 containers went missing without paying taxes.

According to an official in the Prime Minister’s Office, a detailed study of the report previously prepared by the port authority in connection with the fraud is underway to expose all those who are implicated for appropriate action to be taken.

“Serious inquiry about the containers that vanished from the port is going on and all details about the findings will be shared to the media at the right time. Everything will be sorted out accordingly,” said the official.

The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Acting Manager, Mr Hebel Mhanga, was given until 5:00pm on Thursday to present to the PM’s office names of all those implicated in the clearing scam of the containers between March and September 2014.

The premier also issued a one-week ultimatum to have the billing system changed to electronic based e-payment system. It was established that container owners evaded tax through Inland Container Depots (ICDs) namely; JEFAG, DICD, PMM and AZAM.

The report presented to the PM indicated that 10 TPA officers were suspended. “You decided to suspend the small fish and let the big ones continue working.... there is no way the government can continue losing revenue like this,” Premier Majaliwa remarked. At the port, Mr Majaliwa inspected different departments of the TPA and witnessed how cargo was inspected using scanners.

He witnessed some anomalies while in the scanning room and discovered a manifest showing one of the containers was loaded with diapers while the scanned picture showed the container was full of electricity gadgets.

According to the Acting Port Manager from the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Ben Usaje, who is also the supervisor of the scanning section, when they receive contradicting information of what is written on the manifest and what is contained in the cargo, the report is usually forwarded to the responsible ICDs so that they can confirm by opening the container for verification.