10 Aug 2021

Acting customs manager at Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) in Chobe, Mr Kebaabetswe Montsho, says traffic and revenue at the Kazungula Bridge Border decreased during the month of July.

In an interview, he said the decrease was recorded between July 6 and 18. He attributed the decline in business to a COVID-19 wave and the recent unrest in South Africa. 

He said since opening of the bridge in May 11, the border recorded an average of 120 outgoing vehicles weekly, but in July an average of 80 was recorded. 

He said in July, COVID-19 seemed to be on peak and as a result the border operation was down and the workforce was also affected causing the decrease in revenue collection.

Mr Montsho cited that after the opening of the bridge, revenue collection doubled from P3 million in April to slightly above P6 million in May and P8.7 million in June but dropped to P7.7 million in July.

He added that the same border collected a total of over P13 million for deferral account from April to July.

He said for April, a total of 7 048 passengers and 3 085 vehicles used the border while in May 11 165 passengers and 5 425 crossed at the bridge. 

In June the passenger statistics rose to 12 004 and that of vehicles at 7 243 but in July decreased to 10 601 passengers and 6 241.

Mr Montsho explained that prior to July, small traders for second hand goods used the bridge, but since July none of them crossed.

Apart from the smooth operational systems at the border, Mr Montsho noted that there were some challenges such as the importation of illicit goods into the country using canoes at night and trucks.

He said some of the illicit goods included prohibited cosmetics, tobacco and alcoholic beverages. 

Mr Montsho noted that since second hand bales attracted high duty, they had registered incidents of some people importing them using ungazetted points of entries. Ends