By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA
in Nakonde –
HIGH-LEVEL delegations representing the governments of Zambia and Tanzania will tomorrow meet to work out mechanisms of curbing revenue collection leakages at the Nakonde-Tunduma border post.
This is expected to increase surveillance and elimination of vices such as smuggling and under-invoicing of taxable imports at the border.
The two governments will discuss, among other issues, the challenges of smuggling and are expected to resolve illegal trade at the Tunduma-Nakonde border post.
About 100 delegates including permanent secretaries from both countries are expected to attend the meeting here.
The delegates are drawn from the ministries of Finance, Commerce, Trade and Industry, Works and Supply, Transport and Communication, Justice, Home and Foreign Affairs and other Government departments.
This is contained in a programme issued by the ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry which was made available to the Times of Zambia here yesterday.
Nakonde One-Stop Border Post serves as one of Government’s strategic facilities for tax revenue collections and is a major link between Zambia and East Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle-East and the Far-East.
According to Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), Nakonde border collects an average of K4.6 million per day, making it the second largest revenue-generating border after Chirundu.
It processes between 350 and 400 entries per day.
ZRA spent more than K174.9 million on implementation of the modern tax administration systems and another K38 million on upgrading and constructing infrastructure since 2014.
The Nakonde One-Stop Border Post was built at a cost of K42.958 million and the modern infrastructure will increase tax revenue collections.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda recently said that the Government required modern facilities to raise tax revenue collections that were required to invest in public facilities like roads, schools and health.
“The pressure of inefficient border operations will now be lessened and travellers between our two sister countries of Tanzania and Zambia will now be treated to fast efficient services hopefully by all relevant wings of the governments which will be operating on these premises,” Mr Chikwanda  said.