Fuel tankers passing through Zimbabwe are required to pay US$21,500 per truck upon entry and be refunded upon exit

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EACH TANKER TO PAY $24,000 REFUNDABLE TAX

OVER 3,500 fuel tankers scheduled to transport the commodity into Zambia are grounded in Zimbabwe due to policy changes resulting in the introduction of an exorbitant transit tax.



According to the new policies, fuel tankers passing through Zimbabwe are required to pay US$21,500 per truck upon entry and be refunded upon exit, which has led to drivers shunning the route.



Most drivers have complained of delays by Zimbabwean authorities to refund them upon exit, which usually takes several days.



During an Energy Regulation Board (ERB) and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) joint media briefing yesterday, Puma Energy Zambia head of government relations Litiya Matakala said the unavailability of the Zimbabwean trucks has posed a huge challenge on their operations as it entails that Zambian trucks have to cover up for the loss alone.



Mr Matakala said Zambian trucks are also supplying the commodity to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the absence of Zimbabwean tankers.



“This is a very constrained situation,” he said. “OMCs will manage it as it is a short-term challenge. When you look at Zambia being landlinked, we depend so much on Zimbabwe because when you pick a product from Beira in Mozambique, the shortest route is passing through Zimbabwe and then Chirundu, all the way up to Lusaka.

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