TANZANIA Ports Authority (TPA) has unveiled yet another sickening thievery of 11,884 containers from inland container depots (ICDs) and 2,019 car freight stations (CFSs) that were cleared at the Dar es Salaam Port without remitting government revenue.
- 11,884 containers go tax-free
Speaking at a news conference yesterday after touring the port barely a day after taking oath of office, Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Professor Makame Mbarawa, said the country’s revenue loss was caused by unscrupulous civil servants at the port who colluded with customs agents.
The loss of revenue was discovered after TPA initiated a special audit, on all ICDs and CFSs which was carried out following an order from the management, after the second surprise visit at the port by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa. According to Prof Mbarawa, seven ICDs did not pay required wharfage amounting to 47.4bn/-.
They are MOFED Tanzania Ltd, DICD, JEFAG, AZAM, PMM, AMI, and TRH, while six CFSs namely TALL, CHIKASA, FARION, SILVER, MASS and HESU evaded tax amounting to 1.1bn/- making a total of 48.5bn/- amount of revenue that the government lost.
The minister said following the anomaly, on Monday the government directed the police to arrest 15 employees of the port, who were mandated to collect the relevant taxes and take appropriate legal actions against them.
“Already, seven officials have been nabbed by law enforcers, who are currently interrogating them before instituting proper legal action against them,’’ he pointed out. The minister named them as John Elisante, Leticia Masaro, Christine Temu, Merina Chawala, Adnan Ally, MasoudHowever, eight port officials are still at large as they disappeared in thin air immediately after realising that the police had launched a manhunt for them.
They are Nathan Edward, Aron Lusingu, Amani Kazumari, John Mushi, Valentine Sangawe, Happygod Naftal, Bonasweet Kimaina and Zainab Bwijo. In another development, the government has said it will not hesitate to revoke a licence of any agent who will collude with officials at the port to clear any vehicle or container without clearing their dues.
“The government will not tolerate any employee regardless of his or her position if he will cause any loss of our revenue and those agents who will collude with our employees will be barred from doing their business with TPA,’’ insisted Prof Mbarawa.
In an advertisement published in various newspapers yesterday, TPA released a list of companies that are alleged to have cleared their containers and vehicles at the port without paying warfage. The companies were ordered to submit their documents for verification within a period of seven days beginning yesterday.
According to Prof Mbarawa, those who will fail to submit their documents within that grace period before the deadline elapses will be arrested by the police to pay their debts and that they will have their licences revoked.
Speaking at the same occasion, the Deputy Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Engineer Edwin Ngonyani, said his minister would consult his Home Affairs counterpart, Mr Charles Kitwanga, to look on the possibility of deploying police officers at Dar Port to seal loopholes for tax evasion orchestrated by security weaknesses.
He also asked Tanzania Freight Forwarders Association (TAFFA) officials to submit evidence regarding their recent allegations that some government officials were colluding with banks, contracted by TPA to fraudulently remove payments in the banking system, something that made their members to provide double payments for clearing their cargo.
“If there is evidence, the government will not hesitate to take appropriate legal steps.We ask whoever has got any evidence to come to our ministry,’’ he appealed.
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