By CHATULA KANGALI –
THE Petroleum Transporters Association of Zambia (PTAZ) has called on Government to ban foreign companies from importing fuel into the country in order to avoid smuggling and cheating in the sector.
This follows the unearthing of an organised  fuel smuggling syndicate by the Zambia Revenue Authority ( ZRA) were  a  foreign transporter  falsely  declared  the  consignment as Jet A1when  it was petrol and  diesel in order to avoid paying duty.
PTAZ general secretary Benson Tembo said there was need for more locals to be engaged in the transportation of Jet A1 fuel.
Mr Tembo saidin an interview that if locals are engaged, the Government would collect more revenue as there would be no cheating in declaring consignments.
“We have always said that importers of fuel must engage Zambian transporters through PTAZ as no transporter under our supervision can engage in such acts that denies revenue to our Government. We want to state that foreign transporters engaged in such acts must be banned from entering Zambia,” he said.
Mr Tembo alleged that Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) had stopped engaging local transporters in transporting Jet A1 fuel in the country in order for them to falsely declare the consignment.
He called on Government to award local transporters 100 percent contracts in the importation of all types of fuel in the country.
Mr Tembo said Zambian transporters could not cheat because they had the sense of ownership hence avoiding illegal activities in the sub sector.
PTAZ commended ZRA for intercepting the illegally imported fuel into the country.