Business

Congolese urged against paying inspection fees in Dar es Salaam

CONGOLESE Business People's Company in Tanzania has asked the DRC business persons to refrain from paying taxes charged by a DR Congo agency for maritime freight management at the Dar es Salaam Port.

The move comes after the Board of Tax Revenue Appeals ruled out that the agency known as OGEFREM was illegally charging taxes on transit goods destined for DRC business people at the Port. Addressing a news conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Advocate for DRC Congolese Businesspersons, Mr Pius Chabruma said that the order was issued on May 30, 2012.

Mr Chabruma said that the OGEREM, a company registered in DRC and governed by the DRC laws has been collecting tax as destination inspection fees in Tanzania in respect of the transit goods for DRC people. "The Tax appeal Number 10 of 2011 by the Congolese business people, the board ruled out that the OGEFREM has no legal right to charge destination inspection fee in Tanzania for transit goods bound for DRC," he said.

In another development, the board ruled out that Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) had no legal right to intercept or stop transit goods on which destination inspection fees has not been paid. According to Advocate Chabruma, the board said that TRA can only intercept or stop transit goods in course of its normal duties of inspection but not because destination inspection fees have not been paid.

Earlier, the President of Congolese Business People Mr Esmail Edward said that the business people from DRC had to stop using the Dar Port due to the fees charged by OGEFREM at the port. "The fee by OGEFREM is supposed to be charged at DRC and not here in Tanzania," he said adding that OGEFREM has been charging fees from both sides.