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Tanzania, Kenya partner in controlling smuggling at border post

Xinhua, November 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and its Kenyan counterpart (KRA) have agreed to partner in the fight against smuggling of goods at Sirari, one of the busiest border posts linking the two east African nations.

Narsiuss Moshi, TRA assistant manager in Tanzania's region of Mara revealed this on Saturday, saying the agreement is meant to address the smuggling of goods from both sides, whereby traders have been using unregistered routes to accomplish their missions.

"On Thursday, we convened a meeting involving TRA and KRA officials and extensively discuss on key challenges thwarting our operations and we agreed to partner in the fight against smuggling of goods in the area," Moshi said.

According to Moshi, Sirari border post has many unregistered routes that give room for unscrupulous businessmen and women to smuggle goods from the two countries without paying the legal taxes.

"So, we've started implementing the agreement by closing those routes in order to compel businessmen and women to pay taxes," the TRA official said.

Among other issues, Moshi said that patrols in the area including the unregistered routes will be for 24 hours.

Martin Otieno, KRA manager at the border post said the move is also meant to boost revenue collection at the post.

He said: "In this collaboration, we want to ensure that people inculcate a culture of paying taxes."

So far, Otieno said that KRA has started blocking some of the unregistered routes used by smugglers in the area.

Sirari area has immense contribution to the Tanzania's economy and fosters good relations between the two countries. It is also the entry point of hundreds of foreign tourists visiting the world-famous Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) and other tourist destinations. Enditem