What's Duty Free in Zimbabwe? ICT vs Tourism
In a bid to promote the development of the Information and Communication Technology Sector other sectors who rely on ICTs have also been put in a prime position when it comes to enhancing their technological capacity. As such, tourism has gained subtle benefits from this opportunity as this now means marketing and promotion of Zimbabwe’s tourism sector has been put onto higher level through this allocation. Travel and Tourism players alike can now acquire drones , computers and cameras exclusive of duty-capturing all those lovely destinations surrounding Zimbabwe on higher technology and at a cost-effective price range.
Kindly take note of the enlisted items below that are now Duty-Free!
Well , with that out of the way we move onto things to take note of when clearing the goods. According to ZIMRA ICT goods imported for Commercial purposes should be cleared on a Bill of Entry Form 21 through a registered clearing agent. Where the value of a commercial consignment is less than US$1,000 (one thousand United States Dollars) the goods can be cleared on Form 49 and the service of a clearing agent is not mandatory.
Goods imported by private individuals (private imports) attract Duty at a flat rate of 40% , except in situations where one elects to use the appropriate Harmonized System (HS) tariff prior to clearance. Private imports may be cleared on Form 49 without the use of a clearing agent even if the value is above USD $1000.00. This brings us to the next question that is;
Which documents are needed for Customs Clearance?
1. Supplier Invoice with full details of importer, full description and value of goods.
2. Consignment note/freight statement (where applicable)
3. Export documents from the country of export (where applicable)
4. Permits/licenses (where applicable) e.g. POTRAZ license.
5. Any other relevant documents that may be requested by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority
If you only stumbled across this crucial information for the first time on this article, you may also need to know that the above list is not exhaustive and Customs Duty rates for other products not listed can be obtained upon request from your nearest ZIMRA office, or can be obtained from the ZIMRA website. Goods also have to be properly declared and entered for clearance at the time of entry. Lastly , VAT is payable at 14.5% Presumptive tax is payable at 10% where necessary. Lets get buying!