Questions have arisen as to who is collecting taxes at Zambia’s dry port at Walvis Bay in Namibia as the Zambia Revenue Authority – ZRA whose mandate is to collect tax has denied being responsible for the collection of tax at the port.
The government early this year through the State-owned Company Zambian Cargo – ZAMCARGO, seized Zambia’s Walvis Bay dry port from a South African-based Zambian-born millionaire and promoter of “My Home Town” and owner of Africa Union Cargo, James Ndambo. Government said the move had been necessitated following the expiration of the six months’ notice period following the termination of the concession. due to poor performance and under utilization of the facility.
ZRA has been unable to state the tax revenue collection impact from prior collection to post-takeover collections at the Zambian Dry Port at Walvis Bay which is the busiest regional terminal situated in Namibia.
Months after the government took over the operations of the port, the Zambia Revenue Authority has confirmed that it does not operate the port thereby failing to disclose the taxes that have so far been collected since the takeover.
Questions have however arisen and people are asking who is now collecting taxes when the ZRA has denied doing so.
Efforts to however get a comment from the Minister of Transport and Logistics and the Zambian Cargo – ZAMCARGO on who is collecting tax and how much has been collected after the takeover, are underway.
The Zambia Dry Port aids in the import and export of goods to and from Zambia and other SADC countries via the Port of Walvis Bay. Cargo is transported between Namibia and other SADC countries via road. Cargo typically includes machinery and cars, chemicals, ore, bulk produce, and building materials.
Walvis Bay, with its large bay and sand dunes, is also an important center of tourism activity in Namibia.
