Local agents protest ZRA’s new clearing system

THE introduction of the clearing agents’ module will only favour a few multinationals who currently hold 95 percent of the clearing business, the Customs Clearing and Freight Forwarding Agents Association of Zambia (CCFFAAZ) has said.

CCFFAAZ Vice-President Paston Ndola said the clearing agents’ module also known, as appointment module, would result in side-lining of many Zambian clearing agents.

Mr Ndola said the new system would only allow a few clearing agents to clear goods as cargo would be locked to a particular agent.

“The clearing agent module is an arrangement where an importer or exporter is required to write to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), informing them of the appointment of a preferred clearing agent to exclusively clear the exporter’s or importe’rs goods or cargo. This means that goods or cargo would be ‘locked’ to one particular agent,” Mr Ndola said.

Mr Ndola said clearing agents’ module was an affront to the spirit of fair competition and a liberalised business environment in Zambia.

Mr Ndola said it was saddening that despite the clearing agents rejection of the module and offer of an alternative to the system, ZRA has disregarded the advice and went ahead to implement the programme.

Mr Ndola said the CCFFAAZ outrightly rejected the clearing agents’ module and advised ZRA to develop an alternative system similar to the one being used by the banks where an importer or exporter would quickly be alerted in an instance where their TPIN was being illegally used to clear goods.

This prompted the CCFFAAZ delegation led by its President, Mr Bruce Kaemba to cite that as one of the many reasons why the clearing agents module should not be given chance to see the light of day.

Mr Ndola warned that the clearing agents would not sit idle and watch the clearing sector being “destroyed in such reckless manner” through disadvantaging indigenous clearing agents.