MRA warns smugglers of severe consequences

Business people in the country have been encouraged to use the border stations to clear their imported goods than resorting to smuggling because once caught one would be punished severely in accordance with the law.

The sentiments were made recently by the Station Manager for Dedza Border Station, Moses Masina, when MRA held a meeting with business people including importers and exporters in the district.

He said that smuggling has negative effects to the country’s economy because smuggled goods are substandard and are sold cheaply thereby rendering locally manufactured goods un competitive on the local market leading to loss of employment.

‘’I, therefore, ask those people who find glory in smuggling to stop immediately or face the long arm of the law,’’ he warned.

In his presentation, the Manager Customs & Excise, Ronald Ching’anda, informed the audience that the Government had increased the threshold for personal rebate from K300,000.00 to K750,000.00.

Apart from that, he drilled the participants on procedures to follow before importing goods into the country, what to do when one arrives at the border with imported goods and how duty is calculated, among other things.

During the meeting, participants applauded MRA for organizing the meeting and how the Authority addressed their questions and suggestions and appealed to the Authority to regularly organize such meetings.

MRA is currently holding meetings with taxpayers in some business and trading centres in the Centre and North and has already engaged businesses in Dedza, Mchinji, Kasungu and Mzimba before proceeding to Mzuzu and Karonga.