CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU: The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has successfully recovered assets worth more than USD350 000 while property worth over USD1.5 million has been attached to pending corruption-related cases before the courts.
The development comes as the parastatal escalated its anti-corruption drive by conducting lifestyle audits on employees and employing traps against officers in a move that has resulted in several workers falling prey to the authority’s snares.
The revenue authority has managed to conclude some cases where the property in low-density and medium-density suburbs has since been recovered, while several other cases are under prosecution.
“We have two cases that have since been finalised. In those two cases, we managed to recover several properties in the lofty suburbs which are worth around USD200 000. We also managed to recover some of the properties in the medium suburbs of Harare which are worth USD100 000.
“Some of the cases are before the courts and properties attached there are worth around USD1.5 million. Now you can see the magnitude of the loss the government is experiencing through corruption. We are saying the cancer of corruption requires a collective approach if we are to win this war that is bleeding our country,” said ZIMRA Commissioner General Regina Chikumira.
ZIMRA also says they are investing in the latest technology to deal with porous border posts where the country is losing millions of dollars in potential revenue through smuggling.
“We have since procured some drones that will be deployed at our country’s entry and exit points. This will give us visual graphic images that we will act on. We will have patrol teams on standby who will help in apprehending culprits.
“We already have some CCTVs which are also helping in solving some of the problems at our borders. We will continue to make sure that our systems are well intact to help in dealing with any such problems,” added ZIMRA ICT Director, Shami Moyo.
ZIMRA, in partnership with law enforcement agents, is grappling with issues of money laundering, tax evasion and other vices that are hampering revenue collection in the country.
#CommunityTalk #Commutalk
