Saturday, May 06, 2017

Tanzania Hits Back at Zambia, Seizes Trucks
By Watchdog
May 5, 2017

Tanzania has seized 50 fuel trucks from Zambia for failure to have electronic cargo tracking system seals which Tanzania has started demanding from Zambian trucks.

Last month, the Zambian regime seized about 200 Tanzanian trucks carrying logs from the DR Congo
A spokesperson for the Tanzania drivers Angelina Ngalula said more than 400 Tanzanian drivers and their turn boys were also held in Zambia.

The logs were in transit to the Dar es Salaam Port from the DRC and the Tanzanian drivers had all documents to prove that the logs were from the DRC but Zambia refused to let them go.

But now the 50 trucks which were supposed to ferry fuel into Zambia are stuck in the Tanzania port city of Dar-es-Salaam after the implementation of the new system by the Tanzania Revenue Authority because they do not have the e-seal for tracking.

Benson Tembo, general secretary of the Petroleum Transporters Association of Zambia, said it was unfair for the Tanzanian authorities to detain the trucks because the association was not notified in good time on the requirement, according to the Times of Zambia.

He said the trucks had gone to collect fuel from Tanzania before the implementation of the electronic cargo tracking system on wet cargo which came into effect on April 27, 2017.

According to the new requirements, transporters were required to buy seals on every compartment of the truck which will cost about 70 U.S. dollars.

The new requirement further states that transporters should have the e-seals and related equipment before entering the depots for loading.

But the Zambian transporters complained that the move would increase the cost of business for transporters and have asked authorities in the country to liaise with their Tanzanian counterparts. Enditem

Source: Xinhua

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