By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA

GOVERNMENT has called for cooperation with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) authorities in curbing smuggling activities between the two countries.

Home Affairs Deputy Minister Stephen Kampyongo said despite Government’s ban on the export of maize and mealie-meal, the commodities had continued being smuggled into the DRC.

Police in Chililabombwe last weekend impounded three trucks laden with over 900 x 50 kilogramme bags of suspected smuggled maize en-route to the DRC via Kasumbalesa Border Post.

Acting Copperbelt Police Commissioner Joyce Kasosa confirmed the impounding of the vehicles which included two Scania trucks and a Volvo truck.

Ms Kasosa said the trucks which were all driven by Zambians were coming from Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi and were intercepted in Chililabombwe on Saturday around midnight.

Mr Kampyongo, who held a meeting with DRC officials led by Ndola-based Consular General Chantal Malaba in Kasumbalesa on Wednesday, said there was need for the two countries to work together in tackling smuggling.

He said the Zambian Government was doing its part to prevent the smuggling of goods but that its efforts would be fruitless without the cooperation of DRC authorities.

“Government is doing everything possible to prevent smuggling between Zambia and Congo and so our meeting with authorities from that country was to bring to their attention the need not to facilitate activities of smuggling that side.

“We are asking them to cooperate by ensuring that they let us know everything that is crossing into that country so that officials from the Zambia Revenue Authority can capture the transactions,” he said.

Mr Kampyongo appealed to DRC authorities at Kasumbalesa Border Post to be vigilant by taking stock of all goods crossing into that country so as to only facilitate entry of permitted products.

Meanwhile, Mr Kampyongo said there was notable improvement in the area of security and safety for international truck drivers crossing into the DRC.

“Following that standoff between truck drivers and DRC authorities over security and safety matters, there were assurances from our colleagues to work towards improving that,” Mr Kampyongo said.

He said the truck drivers indicated during the same meeting that following the assurances, they had noted some improvement in as far as their security and safety was concerned while in the neighbouring country.