Tanzania’s Dry Ports embark on 24- hour operation
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General, Yusuph Juma Mwenda, has urged all owners and operators of Dry Ports (ICD) to start operating 24 hours a day to keep pace with the pace of Customs services.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam during a joint session with ICD owners, Commissioner General Mwenda said that operating 24 hours a day would further simplify trade and eliminate cargo congestion, and that they are ready to facilitate the start of the process, which Customs officials have already started.
He said he recognizes the importance of ICDs and their contribution to tax collections because they have been facilitating and simplifying trade within and outside the country.
“I want you to ensure that you increase the efficiency of your work by organizing to provide services 24 hours a day, as TRA will provide our staff, and you on your part, will organize yourself with equipment and other things. The goal is to increase efficiency,” said Mwenda.
He said that the efficiency of dry ports goes hand in hand with the efficiency of Customs, so it is the responsibility of the owners to cooperate with TRA to increase joint efficiency while congratulating them on the good work they are doing.
In another step, Commissioner General Mwenda has warned of tax evasion practices carried out by some of the Port Owners, emphasizing that TRA has information on such practices and that it will not hesitate to take action against them.
“I recognize that there is tax evasion in ICD; this cannot be accepted; all ICDs are required to comply with the Law, and we must cooperate to make ICDs appear safe. We will not hesitate to take action against those who are identified,” emphasized Mwenda
Earlier speaking at the session, the President of the Private Sector Federation (TPSF), Angelina Ngalula, said dry port operators are a key link in the economy towards the National Vision 2050 and should unite and participate fully in building the country’s economy by bringing about a positive revolution.
