…as ZIMRA records rise in revenue collection
By Beatific Gumbwanda
Government’s developmental initiatives through partnership with Zimborders at Beitbridge Border Post have increased security measures impeding crime in transit, smuggling of goods and dangerous substances as well as flagging of wanted suspects thereby increasing revenue collection by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).
Zimborders provides a turnkey solution for the infrastructure as well as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems to modernize and upgrade the border posts in Zimbabwe, with Beitbridge being the pioneer while Forbes in Manicaland is expected to surpass it.
Beitbridge Border Post is manned by twenty-six government departments, with ZIMRA dominating with 425 employees working on four shifts.
Speaking during a media tour of the border Post recently, Beitbridge ZIMRA’s Regional Manager, Lonto Ndlovu said the modernization of the port of entry promoted security.
She said they used Closed Circuit Television Network (CCTV) as well as Facial Recognition Software and drones which helps in identifying flagged criminal suspects, smuggling activity around the border and its peripheries as well as avoidance of transit criminal vehicles.
“Drone Surveillance System helps in the border surveillance on smugglers and is bearing results as 4-5 smugglers are being intercepted daily. We have short-range drones with a 10-kilometer radius which we are currently using as well as long-range drones with a 100-kilometer radius.
“We also have the ground reaction teams comprising of ZIMRA officials, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) personnel who operate on information obtained from drone surveillance,” she added.
Ndlovu said the Facial Recognition System automatically detects flagged criminals once they set foot on the border, alerting the security forces to act promptly.
“The facial recognition system detects flagged criminals from passing through as the alarm system goes on whenever they set foot on the border prompting security forces to react immediately,” she said.
“We also have commercial truck scanners, which scan over 100 trucks per hour, making it easy to check more than 900 trucks on daily basis,” said Ndlovu.
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority also runs the canine unit at the border post where dogs are used to sniff and detect drugs from all goods that pass through the border.
She went on to say the modernization also resulted in increased revenue collection and reduction in corruption.
“Ever since the modernization of Beitbridge Border post, we are now collecting more revenue and there is now order at the border as we now use the Coordinated Border Management system. Corruption is now kept low.
“During the first year after modernization, we surpassed our collection target by 30 percent and as of last year, we surpassed by 16 percent,” said Ndlovu.
