23 April 2011
THE Tanzania Zambia Revenue Authority (TRA) has allowed Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) to revive its in-house clearing and forwarding (CF) to pave way for more than US$70, 000 savings in annual expenses on CF agency fees.
According to the latest edition of TAZARA e-Newsletter obtained from the Zambian High Commission in Dar es Salaam, the railway firm’s staff would now be fully responsible for clearance of all TAZARA imports and it was anticipated that by 2012, the CF unit would extend its services to external clients, including all of the company’s import and export clients.
TAZARA would enhance its efficiency by offering a complete logistics package that included arranging customs clearance, providing wagons, loading cargo and transporting it to any destination in the region.
A fully-fledged CF unit would bring many benefits to TAZARA’s clients as they would enjoy reasonable fair agency fees and with the special relationship that existed with TRA and the Tanzania Port Authority, TAZARA’s clients, especially those with transit cargo, would minimise liabilities on storage and demurrage charges once freight and agency fees were paid to the railway firm.
The revival of the CF unit was in line with the marketing strategies designed to make TAZARA competitive and ensure its commercial and financial viability in the long term.
TAZARA imports huge quantities of equipment and materials worth more than $2 million per annum and with the revival of the CF unit, there would be savings in excess of $70,000 per annum.
In addition, TAZARA handles transit cargo for export or import, worth more than $10 billion every year on behalf of its clients.
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Original post:
Rail Authority Given Green Light to Revive in-House Clearing