Porta-voz da Autoridade Tributária (AT), Fernando Tinga
Maputo, 6 Jun (AIM) – The Mozambican Tax Authority (AT), over the first quarter of the current year, made 487 seizures of goods (especially boxes of alcoholic beverages), valued at 78 million meticais (1.2 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate).
According to AT spokesman, Fernando Tinga, who was addressing the press on Monday on the Third Phase of the Obligatory Sealing of Alcoholic Beverages and Manufactured Tobacco, 366 seizures were made in the southern region of the country, 57 in the centre, and 64 in the northern region.
“We seized 45,749 boxes of various alcoholic drinks, for which the duties and other taxes are estimated at 33 million meticais”, Tinga said, adding that the seizure was possible thanks to the coordinated work of the authorities in order to stop the smuggling of goods and increase revenue collection for the state.
“The customs value of this merchandise is 78 million meticais, from which resulted a collection of 62 million for the state coffers”, the spokesperson explained.
According to Tinga, “with the result of the operational work we reached an unfortunate result of 487 seizures. I say unfortunate because it is not normal. The normal thing would be to have a trade that flows in full compliance with the rules.”
On 1 November 2022 the ban on bringing beer without a fiscal control seal into the national market began. Wine and spirits already carried obligatory fiscal stamps.
“Despite repeatedly explaining the procedures, there are still focuses of tax evasion by smuggling”, he said. He urged businesses to join the project of sealing alcoholic drinks, otherwise they would risk being sanctioned.
“We have information pointing out that even in some establishments that apparently sell sealed drinks, people still have the habit of selling unsealed drinks. We will go there to make seizures, either in the markets or in commercial establishments, among other more remote zones”, he warned.
(AIM)
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