Malawi Revenue Authority seizes, destroy Zambian Chibuku: ‘ Illegal opaque beer’
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has seized Zambian Chibuku Super which was smuggled into the country worth K 5 million as the public tax collector warned smuggling opaque beer into Malawi poses serious health risk; the malpractice is depriving government of tax revenues necessary for social services provision.
Speaking in Lilongwe on Friday at MRA Lilongwe offices during the destruction of the confiscated products, Customs Office Manager, Patricia Gondwe said the Chibuku Super was confiscated in Lilongwe and Mchinji districts.
She said the products were smuggled into the country through uncharted routes and they were intercepted and kept in our ware house.
“Malawi customs and exercise act under section 145 says if any goods have committed customs offence they are liable to forfeiter,” Gondwe said.
She said the products were being destroyed at Chibuku factories because the MRA does not have the facilities to destroy the products.
Chibuku Products Limited Operations Manager, Barter Chunga said the company in collaboration with MRA they has done a second wave of destruction of the smuggled Chibuku this year.
He said the product is not coming into the country in a proper way and it is also affecting theMarket for Chibuku Super Malawi.
“The smuggled Chibuku which is coming through Mchinji boarder is affecting markets in Mchinji, Lilongwe Kasungu and we have seen the same product going in markets in the rural areas like Nambuma,” Chunga said.
He said it is a serious thing as it is taking up Malawi market which was suppose to be taken up by Chibuku Super Malawi.
He said they have managed to confiscate 12,000 litters of Chibuku Super Zambia.
Chunga said the supply of Chibuku super Zambia does not signal failure of the Chibuku Products Limited as the company has capacity to supply in all its markets.
He added that the smuggled product has taken almost 50 percent of their markets.
The Manager said there is a health risk with the smuggled Chibuku because a consumer doesnot know how the product was produced and sometimes it comes in the country expired.
“Smuggled Chibuku is not certified by the Malawi Bureau of Standards unlike the Malawi Chibuku super which is certified and also the consumer can come at any point in time to check how it is produced,” he pointed out.
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The Malawian chibuku is not up to standard that’s why many of us now prefer hitting the Zambian brewed chibuku. Improve your product and we shall stop drinking this Zambian super brew
Africa’s big tragedy is failure for African countries to trade amongst themselves. The tax that is charged on imported items is prohibitive so everyone trades within their countries missing out on a much bigger African market.
So the beer is a health hazard because it is smuggled? What an argument.
they have more task to do otherwise angosiya