Sacu burned by smuggling

THE illicit trade in tobacco and cigarettes cost the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) N$1,5 billion in lost excise, tax and custom duties during the past fiscal year.

Cigarette smuggling also deprived the tobacco industry of N$1,2 billion during that time. This was revealed at a one-day workshop on how to combat the illicit tobacco and cigarette trade held at Keetmanshoop yesterday under the auspices of Customs and Excise directorate.The workshop’s facilitator, Mike Vosloo, said the aim of the workshop was to illustrate the impact illicit trading has on the economy and to inform law enforcement officers about the smugglers’ methods.In his message, Karas Governor Dawid Boois appealed to customs and excise officers to step up their efforts.Boois urged countries sharing borders to come up with joint strategies to effectively stamp out illicit trading.”Namibia is rated among the most investor-friendly countries in Africa, but growing competition between illegitimate trading and the genuine investors will in future disconcert this status quo,” he remarked.Law enforcement agents at Keetmanshoop recently confiscated two consignments of contraband cigarettes valued at N$8,5 million and N$5,7 million.This was revealed at a one-day workshop on how to combat the illicit tobacco and cigarette trade held at Keetmanshoop yesterday under the auspices of Customs and Excise directorate.The workshop’s facilitator, Mike Vosloo, said the aim of the workshop was to illustrate the impact illicit trading has on the economy and to inform law enforcement officers about the smugglers’ methods.In his message, Karas Governor Dawid Boois appealed to customs and excise officers to step up their efforts.Boois urged countries sharing borders to come up with joint strategies to effectively stamp out illicit trading.”Namibia is rated among the most investor-friendly countries in Africa, but growing competition between illegitimate trading and the genuine investors will in future disconcert this status quo,” he remarked.Law enforcement agents at Keetmanshoop recently confiscated two consignments of contraband cigarettes valued at N$8,5 million and N$5,7 million.