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—————————The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) at Nakonde border in Muchinga Province has increased its revenue collection base and is now collecting over KR 100 million per month.
Nakonde District Commissioner James Singoyi disclosed this in Nakonde yesterday when Secretary to the Cabinet Rowland Msiska paid a courtesy call on him at his office.
Dr. Msiska is on his continued tour of Muchinga Province checking on developmental projects and programmes being implemented by the Government.
Dr. Msiska is accompanied on his tour by the Permanent Secretary for Administration at Cabinet Office Anna Mwitwa Mwewa, Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary in charge of Economic Management and Finance Felix Nkulukusa, Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary Charles Sipanje, and Director Public Service Management Division at Cabinet Office Sakwiba Lubasi, among others.
Mr. Singoyi informed the Secretary to the Cabinet that ZRA has increased its revenue collection from about KR 70 million to over KR 100 million per month.
Mr. Singoyi said Nakonde border was now surpassing Chirundu in terms of revenue collection.
ZRA at Chirundu was until recently collecting the highest revenue in the country on behalf of the government.
Mr. Singoyi however, said the closure of Kanyala border has affected revenue collection by ZRA in the province.
He said the closure of Kanyala border post has caused revenue loss to the district and the nation as a whole.
“Because of the porous nature of the border, smuggling of goods is rampant. That coupled with inadequate staff to conduct patrols has compounded the situation resulting in huge loss of government revenue, “he explained.
He is however, optimistic that the commissioning of the new Kanyala border post will diminish these problems.
Mr. Singoyi also appealed to government to consider allowing the district to retain about 1 percent of the total collection so that it is used for the development of the border town.
Mr. Singoyi said the retention could be either monthly, quarterly or annually.
Meanwhile, authorities in Nakonde district are worried with the increased crime rate in the area.
Nakonde District Commissioner James Singoyi says challenges on security in Nakonde district have increased in the recent past.
Mr. Singoyi said the district has in the recent past recorded an increase in murder cases, house breakings, drug trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking as well as theft of motor vehicles.
Mr. Singoyi has also said that there is need to re-establish intermediate and international beacons on the borderline between Zambia and Tanzania.
