The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry through the Trade Related Facility (TRF) project has procured ten laptops and two projectors for the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to support the Enhancement of the Rules of Origin through the development of an electronic system of certification for products and the procurement of equipment.
During the handover ceremony of the equipment, Permanent Secretary, Mushuma Mulenga said the purchased equipment procured costs k192,000.
Mr Mulenga said that the purpose of rules of origin is to prevent re-exporting, re-labelling and re-packaging activities in any trade process services.
He added that it is a mechanism used to vet whether a product being imported can qualify under the existing preferable tariff under Southern Africa development Countries (SADC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Products will only qualify if they meet the condition of either being wholly produced or being sufficiently processed in the region to be considered compliant with the rules of origin at regional level.
said Mr Mushimba.
He disclosed that to ensure that the issuing of certificates of origin is done in a seamless manner, SADC member states through their revenue authority have been working towards developing electronic systems for issuance of certificates.
The ministry through the TRF project has allocated up to 75 000 Euros towards enhancing prototype systems that exists.
Mr Mulenga said the ministry is delighted to note that the team of developers from ZRA has finished working on the system, adding that he looks forward for a presentation of the work.