ZIMRA Continues To Lose Millions Of Dollars Due To The Online System Failure (Asycuda)

Trycolyn Pikirayi Avatar
Online tax clearance

Initially, ZIMRA’s e-services platform (Asycuda – Automated System for Customs Data) was experiencing glitches here and there, but we were quick to forgive seeing that there’s nothing perfect under the sun anyway. In December 2017, we reported on how the system had finally given up its ghost, and even then it seemed like a temporary situation, until long queues started emerging at the Beitbridge border post.

In as much as long queues at the border are annoying and could potentially deter interested foreigners from doing business with us, it only starts making sense on how big a deal this is when we start quantifying the losses. So far, according to the Finance and Economic Planning Deputy Minister, Terrence Mukupe, ZIMRA has lost 20 million plus since the 13th of December when Asycuda finally gave up on us.

For an arm that’s expected to collect the country’s revenue, this is unacceptable!

When the system started giving warnings on how it was no longer fit for the service, something should have been done. Well to say something should have been done assumes that nothing was done which is most likely untrue so let me rephrase; something should have been done! This time I say that caring less on what that something was (or is), but more on the results of the deed.

ZIMRA is not only losing directly at the border, where the system of paying duties etc is purely now operating manually and in good faith – but we know that good faith means nothing to some, since loopholes always scream ‘exploit’ to other people.

ZIMRA is also making indirect loses through the businesses that are affected by this system failure since the taxes that ZIMRA collects are also highly depended on the revenues that these businesses generate. Not to mention the losses we can’t necessarily quantify such as foreign businesses opting to deal with other less ‘inconvenient’ countries and thereby ditching us.

ZIMRA is indeed clearly costing the country lots of money.

The most irritating aspect of all this is that the servers had been foreseen to be failing some months before by the ZIMRA IT team and communicated well before, but for some strange reason again nothing was done. I’m beginning to notice how redundancy is an issue here with our Zimbabwean companies (us included), remember the big internet outage that happened last month and how it also revealed how weak our redundancy systems are?

I don’t know, maybe ZIMRA has been flattered by how they have been surpassing their estimated targets so much that they’ve overlooked the urgency of this matter. I sincerely hope not because that then reveals a much much bigger problem than just the incompetence being displayed…

5 comments

  1. promise

    mmmmm, Zimra chii chirikuitika, Kubva Vavharwa nemaServer Kudaro. Manje so

  2. Nesongano

    Your article just concentrated on the failure of the Asycuda system without mentioning the failure of the taxes system as well. Zimra issued a statement on its website where it highlighted this system challenges affecting not only its Customs system but also certain components of the taxes system.

    This to me this is a bit selective. Having said that , does Mukupe have verifiable information on the actual revenue lost as a result of this system failure? Let’s not forget this the same guy who was accused of declaring fuel as being in transit to DRC and the fuel was then offloaded in Chitungwiza.

    That there are system challenges is not in dispute but Mukupe could be trying to settle scores with the authority given his past alleged transgressions.

    1. ITnyans

      And what ever happened to that fuel scam

  3. Anonymous

    Has anyone being fired for gross negligence or incompetence? The CTO in my opinion needs to go. Simple. Why is he still in office when he has failed to deliver for close to 2 months now and has lost the business $20 million quid? If a cashier fails to account for $100-00 in Pick n’ Pay or even Chicken Inn, how long do you think they’ll last? The same principle should be applied even in these government run entities. Personally, I’m garnering for the CTO’s head, I have no idea who he is, but I’m certain the buck stops with him in this case and the board need to take action asap.

  4. Langton jacob53@gmail om

    Not btbrdge only most transporters are by passing Zimbabwe

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