Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is owed over ZiG70 million in acquittals by its employees for travel and subsistence allowances, raising questions about its accounting systems.
This was revealed in a report presented in Parliament by the public accounts committee for the years 2021 and 2022.
The report said the committee resolved to analyse the audited financial statements for Zimra as reported in the Auditor General’s report for the years 2021 and 2022.
Zimra was identified as a critical entity among state enterprises and parastatals whose performance has a huge bearing on the country’s efforts to harness of financial resources for implementation of government programmes and activities.
The audit observed that the tax authority’s acquittal and clearance system for travel and subsistence was not water tight.
“As a result, the authority was owed a total of ZWL$73,8 million for travel and subsistence allowances by staff members as at December 31, 2022,” the report reads in part,” the report said.
“This was contrary to the authority’s travelling and subsistence policy.
“The accounting officer submitted that the late submission of acquittals for travel and subsistence advances had also been identified by an internal audit.”
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According to the report, Zimra said it had put in place internal control systems to plug the leakages.
“Zimra should ensure that the internal control systems are strictly enforced to prevent further accumulation of unacquitted travel and subsistence allowances,” the parliamentary committee said in its recommendations.
“Zimra should take disciplinary action against staff members who consistently fail to acquit their travel and subsistence allowances on time.”
It also emerged that the Chirundu border post did not have incinerators to destroy confiscated prohibited goods.
“As a result, there had been long outstanding prohibited goods yet to be destroyed,” the report reads.
“The accounting officer indicated that some prohibited goods were being destroyed at Beitbridge Border Post, but she was unsure about the situation at the Chirundu border.”
Zimra has intensified its raids on prohibited and smuggled goods into the country.
The authority has impounded goods worth approximately US$2,4 million since it began its anti-smuggling since late December.
The crackdown is targetting cross-border transporters and non-compliant importers, aiming to promote ethical trade and protect the economy.
