Containers owned by IGP, DC face auction as TRA issues 30-day notice
What you need to know:
Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has issued a 30-day notice for owners of over 1,000 containers to pay taxes and clear their cargo or face auction after overstaying in the customs.
The list owners included prominent people like the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Kidoti Company which is owned by Kisarawe District Commissioner Jokate Mwegelo.
Dar es Salaam. Over 1,000 containers are likely to face auctioning if the owners will fail to pay taxes in 30 days.
The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) issued the notice with the list of owners, including a company owned by Kisarawe District Commissioner Jokate Mwegelo and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) who imported the cargo on behalf of the Tanzania Police Force.
These are some of the famous names that appeared in the notice, which requires the owners to clear their cargo after over-staying in storage centres, including inland container depots.
“The public is hereby notified that the listed goods will be considered abandoned if they are not cleared from the customs in 30 days,” stated the notice issued on December 19, 2018.
The notice was signed by the TRA commissioner of Customs and Excise Duty, Mr Usaje Asubisye.
Efforts to get Ms Mwegelo, who owns Kidoti Company, and the Police spokesperson proved futile.
The Kidoti container is reported to have hair weaves while two consignments belonging to the Police Force are said to have spare parts.
Police spokesperson Ahmed Msangi was quoted by the media as saying he would give an explaination on the matter yesterday, but his phone went unanswered when this reporter called for clarification.
Yapi Merkezi – a Turkish construction company, which is now executing the Morogoro – Makutupora section of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project in Tanzania, is also in the list after failing or delaying to clear its construction materials.
Sports items owned by Simba Sports Club are also reported to stall at the customs.
Other owners include Mohammed Enterprises, Vodacom Tanzania PLC, KCMC Hospital, UNDP, Dangote Cement and Ecobank Tanzania.
The list of famous firms comes months after Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Paul Makonda went through a similar situation after it was announced 20 containers belonging to him were set for auction.
Mr Makonda failed to pay Sh1.2 billion in taxes for his containers and later the Taxman decided to distribute them for free to undisclosed beneficiaries after three auctions failed to attract competitive bids.
