Zimra suspends Kariba Border Post as port of entry

Trust Freddy 

Herald Correspondent 

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has suspended the use of Kariba Border Post as a port of entry indefinitely and redirected all services to Chirundu One Stop Border Post.

This decision comes in the wake of high traffic congestion being experienced at Kariba Border Post which has, stretched the current infrastructure beyond its capacity to handle cross border traffic.

With effect from Thursday, all cross border passenger bus operators, importers of vehicles and their clearing agents as well as all cross border travellers intending to use Kariba Border Post will be required to use Chirundu One Stop Border Post as an alternative. 

In a statement yesterday, Zimra said the suspension was with effect from July, 20 until further notice.

“The Commissioner of Customs and Excise wishes to advise all valued stakeholders, cross border passenger bus operators, importers of vehicles and their clearing agents as well as all cross border travellers through Kariba, that the Authority has suspended, until further notice, the use of Kariba Border Post as a port of entry for cross border passenger ferrying buses and vehicles imported from the Far East transiting through Zambia from the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania,” reads part of the statement. 

“These movements will now be required to use Chirundu One Stop Border Post as the alternative. This suspension is with effect from Thursday 20 July 2023, until further notice.”

Zimra also added that the decision was made to pave way for the ongoing renovation work being done to the Kariba dam wall.

“The current high traffic volumes have also adversely affected ongoing Government projects towards refurbishment of the Kariba Dam wall structures and the hydro-power plant, both of which are critical national resources given their strategic economic importance.”

According to Zimra, appropriate intervention measures have already been implemented in coordination with their counterparts in the Zambia Revenue Authority to handle the adjustments of the ports of entry (Zimbabwe) and ports of exit (Zambia) on any declarations that had already been received and processed through the automated platforms of each Authority.

“All fresh declarations henceforth should reflect the port of exit and or port of entry aligned to the changes effected by this notice as the case may be.”