Lets Develop Chanida Border Post

ZRA'S NEW ACI REQUIREMENT IS A DUPLICATION OF AN EXISTING CUSTOMS PROCESS

The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has announced that, effective 1st July 2026, all transporters will be required to submit Advance Cargo Information (ACI) before goods enter or transit through Zambia.

While the objective may be to strengthen Customs risk management and combat smuggling, this new requirement raises one important question: Why are we duplicating work that is already being done through the mandatory pre-clearance process? Today, before a truck arrives at the border, clearing agents already submit bills of entry, invoices, packing lists, permits and other supporting documents through the pre-clearance system. Customs officers assess this information in advance, determine the risk level of the cargo and decide whether a shipment should be physically inspected or released. This is exactly what the new ACI requirement is trying to achieve.
If Customs already receives advance information through pre-clearance, what additional value does another compulsory form and email bring? Instead, it creates unnecessary duplication, more paperwork and extra costs for transporters, importers and clearing agents.

This also goes against the principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO), of which Zambia is a member. The WTO encourages countries to simplify border procedures, reduce paperwork and facilitate trade—not introduce new administrative requirements that slow down the movement of goods.

If ZRA believes some cargo requires additional scrutiny, then the new requirement should only apply to high-risk goods such as hazardous chemicals, explosives or other sensitive products. It should not become a blanket requirement for every shipment entering or passing through Zambia.

Zambia should be reducing bureaucracy, not creating more of it. The ACI requirement, in its current form, is simply a duplication of an existing process.
But Stakeholders consultation is key i agree with u

*copied*

https://www.facebook.com/share/1JT6hXovFv/

https://www.facebook.com/100064778046109/posts/1466321695537085/

CAPITAL PAY AND ZAFFA DRIVE STANDARDISATION OF FEES FOR CUSTOMS CLEARING AND FORWARDING TO BOOST GROWTH IN ZAMBIA

By Philip Banda

Following the signing of a strategic partnership yesterday, 28th April 2026, between Capital Pay International and Zambia Association of Freight and Forwarders, renewed hope has emerged for Zambia’s customs clearing and forwarding sector.
For many years, customs clearing and forwarding agents across the country have been calling for the standardisation of clearing fees. The industry has long been affected by undercutting, where some players drastically reduce fees to secure business. While this may seem attractive to clients, it has slowed the growth of small and medium clearing companies and created an unstable business environment.

The involvement of Capital Pay has added strong momentum to this reform agenda. The company has already demonstrated success in delivering digital payment and compliance solutions across various markets, improving efficiency, transparency, and trust in trade systems. Their experience is expected to play a key role in supporting Zambia’s transition towards a more structured and reliable customs clearing and forwarding framework.

The new partnership has sparked serious discussions around introducing standardised fees to bring fairness and stability to the sector. Among the proposals being considered is a system where Customs Release Orders could only be processed once clearing agents are paid their fees in full. Though still under discussion, this proposal is seen as a practical way to protect agents from unfair negotiations and delayed payments.

If implemented, such measures are expected to restore order in the industry, allowing agents to operate on a level playing field. This would not only improve business confidence but also create room for growth, investment, and job creation.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, John Muwowo, President of ZAFFA, called for stronger collaboration with the Zambia Revenue Authority and other stakeholders. He emphasised that partnerships will be key to ensuring the success of the proposed reforms.

He added that the initiative will not only benefit clearing agents but also enhance revenue collection for ZRA through improved transparency and accountability.

As Zambia continues to modernise its trade and logistics sector, the partnership between Capital Pay and ZAFFA stands out as a progressive and timely intervention. With proven systems, a shared vision, and coordinated efforts, the long-standing challenges in the customs clearing and forwarding industry could soon be effectively addressed.

This is welcome but ZRA need to really work hard to stabilize the ASYCUDA system Importers, Exporters, Transporters, Clearing agents are not put in problems from any Angle of any sort.

ZRA Urgent Need to Strengthen Electronic Systems for Efficient Service Delivery and Revenue Collection

Immediate action is required to overhaul and significantly strengthen the electronic systems and technological capabilities of the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), and other priority government institutions in order to improve efficiency, service delivery, and compliance.

The persistent challenges and frequent downtime experienced in systems such as ASYCUDA World are causing serious disruptions to operations within the transport and logistics sector. These delays not only affect transporters and clearing agents but also hinder the government's ability to collect revenue efficiently.

When the systems are slow or unavailable, trucks remain idle, cargo clearance is delayed, and transporters incur additional operational costs. At the same time, the government loses valuable time in revenue collection, which negatively impacts national economic activities.

Such technological inefficiencies must be addressed urgently. Modern, reliable, and resilient digital systems are essential to support trade facilitation, ensure smooth cargo processing, and guarantee timely revenue collection. Strengthening system infrastructure, improving network reliability, and investing in advanced technological solutions will greatly enhance operational efficiency for both government institutions and the private sector.

A well-functioning digital platform will not only reduce delays but will also build confidence among transporters, clearing agents, and the business community who rely on these systems for daily operations.

ZRA MUST BE PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE

By Philip Banda

The statement issued by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) assuring taxpayers about the restoration of its core systems following the outage that began on 1st March 2026 raises serious concerns about the Authority’s preparedness to manage such disruptions.

While ZRA has apologized and indicated that its key platforms — ASYCUDAWorld, TaxOnline, Smart Invoice, and the Integrated Payment System — were restored within 72 hours, the reality on the ground is that the systems have remained intermittent for nearly a week. This has severely disrupted business operations, particularly for clearing agents, importers, and exporters who rely heavily on these platforms for daily transactions.

A modern revenue authority must be proactive rather than reactive. ZRA cannot operate like a fire brigade that waits for a crisis to erupt before looking for solutions. Critical national systems such as customs and tax platforms should always have robust backup systems to ensure continuity of service whenever the main system fails.

The absence of such safeguards has resulted in significant delays in clearing goods and processing tax obligations. Consequently, substantial revenue has already been lost due to the prolonged system failure and instability.
Moving forward, ZRA must invest in reliable redundancy and backup infrastructure so that taxpayers and businesses are not subjected to repeated disruptions.

The country’s revenue collection system is too important to depend on platforms that collapse without immediate alternatives.

https://www.facebook.com/100064778046109/posts/1419995283503060/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

URGENT: ZRA APPOINTMENT & ONLINE PAYMENT SYSTEM FAILURE DISRUPTS BORDER CLEARANCE

By Philip Banda

The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Appointment Module, a feature on the automated customs system known as ASYCUDA, allows importers and clearing agents to process electronic appointments. Without this appointment, a declaration cannot be processed on the system.

However, over the past 72 hours, the appointment module has been intermittently down, making it extremely difficult for importers and clearing agents to process declarations and clear goods through various border entry points.

To make matters worse, the Online Payment System has also been experiencing disruptions, preventing stakeholders from settling duties and taxes electronically.

The failure of these two critical systems has severely slowed down cargo clearance, resulting in long queues of trucks, congestion at border posts, delayed trade, and reduced efficiency in revenue collection.
We therefore urgently appeal to the Commissioner General of ZRA to take immediate action by either:

1.Temporarily suspending the appointment requirement until the system becomes stable and reliable; or

2.Resolving the technical challenges immediately affecting both the appointment and online payment systems.
The current situation is crippling operations at border entry points and negatively affecting both businesses and government revenue collection.

A swift and decisive intervention is required to restore efficiency in the customs clearance process and ensure the smooth flow of trade across Zambia’s borders.

*COPIED*

Dear Zambia Revenue Authority,

This is an open appeal to you from someone whose profession involves engaging with various offices at your institution every day. I have always recommended ZRA as one of the most serious and efficient institutions among other government institutions, especially where professionalism and delivery of service are concerned. This is an institution that takes complaints and/or concerns raised by its clients directly to them or through their respective agents, and that's just one of a few key fields that prove ZRA's efficiency and effectiveness as an institution.

However, I want to bring to your attention the current state of affairs at Chirundu One Stop Border Post. There are many delays in the clearing process, which I think is due to a shortage of manpower and abrupt ASYCUDA World system failures that we've experienced lately (though the system has become somewhat stable and is not the main reason for the delays right now).

Your hardworking officers are putting in all their efforts, but from the look of things, they're really overwhelmed. Because International Trade is governed by International Policies, I want to mention that clients (importers) and clearing agents are paying a lot of demurrage charges to transporters who are seriously working with the 48-hour border clearance time policy. Anything beyond that, and standing time charges apply.

For the record, it may look like companies pay these charges, but in reality, importing and/or clearing companies channel these charges directly to their employees; individuals pay for these charges from their individual salaries. Currently, these charges stand at $350 to $400 a day, and that amount converted to Zambian kwacha is about K7,000 to K8,000.

Imagine that much money being deducted from your pay because customs couldn't facilitate clearing on time, with the current cost of living in Zambia. The current situation has defeated the whole purpose of Pre-Clearance, a policy that ZRA has been advocating for.

There's a feeling amongst Clearing Agents and Importers that customs doesn't respect the 48-hour clearing time policy because these charges and penalties from transporters don't affect them in any way, which I don't want to think is true because that would be a huge sign of incompetence on the side of customs, which ZRA, in particular, is not known for.

We please ask for serious improvement in customs operations at Chirundu OSBP, especially with respect to time efficiency. We have so much confidence in ZRA as an institution; please let's maintain its reputation. If it means adding to manpower, please help us out by doing so.

I'm just a concerned citizen and a directly affected individual. Steven Temwani Moyo as a Clearing Agent.
I submit...
Norman Nalube (CHR Central)
Hakainde Hichilema (His Excellency)
Ministry of Commerce,Trade and Industry
SADC
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
Kalemba
Mwebantu

Until truely someone has openly spoken and challenged not only ZRA But agents too, who have failed to engage the Authority on this am coming back to this 2moro.

well done Mr Muwana.