Africa-Press – Angola. The vice-governor of Zaire Afonso Nsolameso defended, this Friday, the need to synchronize customs fees charged on the border between the province of Zaire (Angola) and the region of Central Congo (DRC).
Speaking at the opening of the 9th ordinary mixed meeting between the border authorities of Zaire and the DRC taking place in Mbanza Kongo, the deputy governor for the political, social and economic sector asked participants to prepare and approve a document that defines a value consensus on taxes to be charged to trucks traveling along the common border.
“It is said that the Congolese authorities charge around three thousand dollars for each truck of ours that enters Congolese territory, compared to 50 dollars that Angola charges for a truck from the DRC that visits our national territory”, expressed the vice-governor, for whom this difference abysmal taxes between neighboring countries creates discomfort in commercial relations.
He said that the meeting, which is taking place today in the city of Mbanza Kongo, is part of the implementation of the joint action plan between Angola and DRC, to reinforce measures to prevent and combat cross-border fraud.
This 9th joint ordinary meeting, continued the vice-governor, demonstrates a clear sign that the two countries are committed to the good management of their respective borders, as well as in the search for better measures to prevent and combat fraudulent actions that occur on the perimeter border between the two neighboring nations.
As the official said, the historical, cultural and consanguinity ties that unite Angola and the DRC, since ancestral times, require the creation, increasingly, of better conditions for political, commercial, technical and operational cooperation.
“Therefore, we are certain that this meeting, like previous ones, will result in relevant and effective measures for the treatment and management of problems that occur on our common border, with emphasis on smuggling of goods and illegal immigration”, he highlighted.
Scheduled to end friday, the meeting is being co-chaired by the director of the 1st region of the General Tax Administration (AGT), Ricardo Pais de Aguiar, and the provincial director of customs in the Central Congo (DRC) region, Alain Tenday Lupumba.
During the meeting, participants will assess the degree of compliance with the recommendations of the previous meeting, held in October 2023 in the city of Matadi (DRC), as well as listening to the concerns of the two delegations.
The meeting also includes the participation of administrators from the municipalities bordering the DRC, namely Mbanza Kongo, Nóqui and Cuimba.
The province of Zaire shares a 310-kilometer border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
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