February 1 deadline catches
operators by surprise,
writes Alan Peat
A LAST minute message to SAAFF (SA Association
of Freight Forwarders) informed the association that no foreign commercial heavy vehicles would be allowed into Zambia from February 1 unless they were holding a valid customs' carrier licence.
The fact that the final notice from the Zambian customs authorities only reached the desk of SAAFF executive director, Edward Little, on January 31, peeved him somewhat.
It is a great pity that the Zambian authorities did not respond to our correspondence earlier, he told FTW that day, as vehicles that have already left will have to await the issue of the necessary permits prior to being allowed to enter Zambia.
They will thus incur additional transit charges.
This followed a very on/off period when all sorts of conflicting information was being fed from Zambian authorities on the matter of the recently announced carrier licence.
Only a week before this final announcement, a senior member of Zambian customs had suggested that the matter was on the back burner. But no official words were made available to SAAFF until the following, final notice arrived from the commissioner of customs in Zambia's revenue authority:
GENERAL NOTICE -
CUSTOMS CARRIERS' LICENCES
Following the public notice that appeared in the press early this month - and subsequent inquiries and petitions from concerned stakeholders - we wish to advise further on the matter as follows:
(a) All transporters, local or foreign, must be licensed by February 1, 2001 - as earlier advised;
(b) The requirement of a bond or bank guarantee must be fulfilled by April 1, 2001;
(c) The fee for the licence shall be K180 000.
Please note that there will be no further extensions after this date.
SAAFF immediately forwarded the notice to its members, accompanied by a copy of the application form for the licence.
Said Little: Although it is my understanding that the Customs Carrier Licence will be issued per company (and not per vehicle), it may be prudent to have a certified copy of the licence in each vehicle for ease of reference.
Any reader having queries is advised to contact H. Muchindu - Zambia's deputy commissioner of customs: Telephone: 09 260 1 222 704; Fax: 09 260 1 221 923; E-mail: muchinduh@zra.org.zm
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