The ZIMRA Acting Commissioner General, Mr Happias Kuzvinzwa, outsmarted competition from other Directors in the Public Sector to clinch the much-coveted Male Director of the Year 2016 Megafest (Northern Region) Award, at a glittering ceremony held at a local hotel on 24 November 2016.

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) Secretary General, Dr Kunio Mikuriya, unveiled the 2017 WCO Theme as, “Data Analysis for Effective Border Management.”

He unveiled the theme whilst speaking during the 8^th Ordinary Meeting of the African Union Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs that was held from 17-18 November 2016 at a hotel in Harare.

Customs experts from revenue administrations across Africa are meeting in Harare to discuss modalities of implementing the One Stop Border Post concept on the continent so as to enhance Customs clearances and trade facilitation.

Customs experts from Zimbabwe and Sudan have come together to deliberate on the modalities of setting up Customs laboratories which will help in the detection of dangerous drugs and harmful substances at border posts. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) is hosting the workshop under the auspices of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), under the theme, “Test Procedures and Customs Laboratory Support in Zimbabwe and Sudan”.

Zimbabwe took over chairmanship of the African Union (AU) Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the 8^th Ordinary Meeting of the AU Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs held in Harare recently.

The meeting ran from 14 to 18 November 2016 under the theme, “From barriers to bridges – Implementing One Stop Border Posts for Improved Trade Facilitation.”

Directors General of Customs from across Africa came together to deliberate on ways to forge closer cooperation among African countries in areas of travel and trade facilitation.

The combined effect of automation, enhanced enforcement and efficiency measures, and the fight against corruption are beginning to pay off for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA). This finds expression in the revenue performance for the third quarter of 2016 (Q3 2016) despite the continuing economic challenges.

Gross collections for the quarter were US$919.91 million, which is 6% up from the $866.96 million collected in (Q2 2016).

The quarter under review was also characterised by continuous falling prices a phenomenon known as deflation. Inflation during the quarter was (-1.4%).

Government also revised the projected Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate by 55% from 2.7% to 1.2% by year end. Government further gazetted the contentious Statutory Instrument (SI) 64 of 2016 during (Q3 2016). Read more

The incoming Chairman for African Union Sub-Committee of Directors General, who is also ZIMRA Acting Commissioner General Mr Happias Kuzvinzwa, applauded the effort by African countries to improve trade facilitation.

Addressing Directors General of Customs from across Africa during the 8^th Session Ordinary Meeting of the AU Sub-Committee of Directors General, Mr Kuzvinzwa highlighted the need for African countries to efficiently perform their critical role of boosting intra-African trade.

Fiscalisation is the recording of transactions for Value Added Tax purposes using electronic fiscal gadgets. The fiscalised gadgets record the information on read only memory, meaning that once recorded, this information cannot be altered.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Development made regulations in terms of Section 78 of the Value Added Tax Act to require operators to record all transactions using fiscalised devices. These regulations are cited as the Value Added Tax (Fiscalised Recording of Taxable Transactions) Regulations, 2010 and came into effect on 1 July 2010.

These regulations are being amended to provide for the fiscalisation of Categories A, B, and D VAT registered operators.

Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Honourable Patrick Chinamasa, has applauded compliant taxpayers for sustaining Zimbabwe’s economy and pledged Government’s support in creating a conducive operating climate for business to thrive.