Rwanda moves to auction vehicles carrying smuggled goods

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) has said it will be auctioning vehicles that enter Rwanda carrying smuggled or illegal goods.

The Rwanda Revenue Authority boss Pascal Ruganintwali has said “all vehicles or other means of transport used to carry smuggled or illegal goods will be forfeited along with the smuggled or illegal goods.”

It does not matter which country the vehicle is coming from as long as it has carried illegal goods into Rwanda. Rwanda says it is doing this under section 199 of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004.

“Both the goods and involved vehicles will be auctioned in accordance with the relevant laws,” said Ruganintwali in a statement.

The driver of the vehicle will be fined $5,000 (Uganda shillings 18.5m). Rwanda says that both the owner and the driver of the vehicle will be sued in the court of law for the smuggling crimes.

All the countries under the EAC are struggling to deal with smuggling. However, forfeiting vehicles carrying smuggled goods is currently not a common practice among the East African Community partners but shows many could decide to go that way.

Ian Rumanyika, Uganda Revenue Authority (URN) Corporate assistant Commissioner Public & Corporate Affairs, told URN that they currently fine the owner of vehicle carrying smuggled goods and release it.

And if the goods in the vehicle are dutiable, they are assessed and owner asked to pay. He said the goods are released after paying the taxes and the vehicle owner is also asked to pay a fine.

It is only after owners fail to pay the fine and taxes that they forfeit both goods and vehicle carrying them on the Ugandan part.

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URN