You will get burned
in the Democratic
Republic of Congo
(DRC) if you do not
know what you are doing,” says
Stephen Roberts, managing
director of All Cargo Solutions
(ACS).
The Zambian company, which
is part of the UK-based African
Cargo Services Group, is forming
a DRC subsidiary and opening
a Lubumbashi office in order to
provide support on the ground for
clients.
ACS’s Zambian head office has
been moved from Ndola to Kitwe
to be closer to the border and
clients.
It has warehouse facilities, and
has also invested in forklifts which
are available on a contract basis to
clients.
The company has retained its
presence and warehousing in
Ndola.
Roberts is confident about
growth in volumes out of the DRC,
but warns that the fluid situation
in the country requires careful
management, with on-the-ground
support.
A recent example is an
amendment to the DRC VAT
legislation which requires that VAT
be paid for transport “on the DRC
leg” for exports.
In May this year the DRC opened
a customs office in Tanzania to
monitor all transit
cargo entering
through the port
of Dar es Salaam.
The twin
objectives of the
office are to curb
the theft of DRC
exports in the
port of Dar es
Salaam and also
to prevent the sale
of DRC-bound goods in Tanzania.
There are reports of commodities
such as fuel meant for transit to the
DRC being sold in the local market,
causing loss of revenue to Tanzania.
Despite the problems in Dar
es Salaam, it
remains the
cheapest option,
says Roberts,
whose group
has offices in
Tanzania. “Our
expertise lies in
getting cargo
through despite
the challenges,” he
says.
Durban, which also has an ACS
presence, is used for out-of-gauge
and abnormal cargo.
INSERT & CAPTION
The fluid situation in
the DRC requires careful
management, with on-theground
support.
– Stephen Roberts
