The ManicaPost
OVER the past few months, smuggling activities along Zimbabwe’s border with Mozambique seem to have increased exponentially, a situation that is bleeding the economy heavily.
Smuggling is a form of tax evasion that leaves a dent on the national fiscus.
A litany of products are finding their way into the country via several illegal entry points dotted along the porous border, with fuel and bales of second hand clothes constituting the biggest chunk of the contraband.
Smuggling has now become a full time job for some people in Manicaland, hence the formation of illegal syndicates that are always devising new ways to evade law enforcement agents.
Of late, smuggling syndicates operating along the border with Mozambique have become more cunning, engaging armed escort teams as they illegally import truckloads of second hand clothes and fuel into the country.
The country is therefore losing millions of dollars in possible tax revenue.
The chaotic situation that is unfolding along the border must therefore be put to an end.
Law enforcement agents patrolling the border area and various other strategic points must up their game and plug the loopholes that have seen smuggling activities going on for years.
Putting a stop to this will assist the country in achieving an upper middle income economy by 2030.
It is crucial to remember that tax is a revenue stream for the Government, with those funds being channelled towards development programmes that uplift people’s standard of living.
Smuggling therefore inhibits development as it deprives the Government of the much-needed revenue for public expenditure.
The vice creates a black market economy that is out of the Government tax net.
It also signals the death of local industries through unfair competition.
The local textile industry has been the greatest casualty as smuggled cheap second hand clothes are flooding the market.
As a result, jobs in the formal clothing industry have been lost as shops struggle to stay afloat.
In addition, profits made from smuggling are only enjoyed by the syndicates.
Those funds are continuously ploughed back into promoting criminality and creating law enforcement nightmares.
This situation undoubtedly scares away potential investors.
Sadly, the smuggling matrix along the border with Mozambique reveals that some rogue law enforcement agents are heavily involved in the movement of the contraband into the country via illegal routes.
Instead of carrying out their duties, the security details are demanding bribes to enable the passage of the smuggled goods into the country.
Despite the presence of numerous roadblocks along the country’s highways, smuggled goods are finding their way from Mutare to as far as Harare and Bulawayo, all because of corruption.
The officers on duty are clearly looking the other way after receiving kickbacks from the smuggling syndicates, otherwise we wouldn’t be seeing so many bales of second hand clothes across the whole country.
It is imperative for the law enforcement agents that are patrolling the border to be rotated more frequently to ensure professionalism.
Most of the officers that are manning the border often overstay their usefulness as they stay long enough to be part of these corruption activities.
Drastic measures need to be put in place urgently to stop smuggling from further damaging the economy.
