Govt suspends duty on importation of buses, 20 per year allowed

The Zimbabwean government has suspended duty on the importation of buses with public bus operators duly registered with the law of the land allowed to import not more than 20 buses per year.

Government on Tuesday gazetted Statutory Instrument 138 of 2022 suspending import duty for approved importers of buses.

The new regulations only apply to public bus operators duly registered in terms of Part III of the Road Motor Transportation Act (Chapter 13:15).

“IT is hereby notified that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development has, in terms of section 235 as read with section 120 of the Customs and Excise Act [Chapter 23:02], made the following regulations,” read the SI 138 of 2022.

“These regulations may be cited as the Customs and Excise (Suspension) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022 (No. 261).

“The Customs and Excise (Suspension) Regulations, 2003, published in Statutory Instrument 257 of 2003, are amended by the deletion of section 9HH and insertion of the following 9HH:

‘Suspension of duty on public service buses imported by approved importers’.

“(1) In this section ‘approved importer’ means a public bus operator duly registered in terms of Part III of the Road Motor Transportation Act [Chapter 13:15]; ‘public service bus’ means new buses of commodity code 8702.10.11 and 8702.90.11 being imported or removed from bond by an approved importer.

“(2) Customs duty shall be suspended on importation of public service buses imported by approved importers in terms of this section at a customs duty rate of zero per centum. (3) An approved importer shall be allowed to import not more than twenty (20) public service buses in any twelve-month period beginning 1st July, 2022.

“(4) The Secretary for Transport and Infrastructural Development shall, on a case-by-case basis, recommend to the Commissioner qualifying public service bus operators duly registered in terms of Part III of the Road Motor Transportation Act [Chapter 13:15).”