The importers and customs brokers accuse the Government, through the Tax Authority (AT) of installing a fraudulent and harmful scheme to their business, but facilitating the achievement of the goals set in revenue collection.

According to the "victims", on weekends the goods' verification and evaluation processes that take place at Kudumba - a company that does the non-invasive verification of goods - become very time-consuming, and occur in the absence of the Southern Regional Director, who, according to the weekly newspaper "Evidências", only works between Monday and Friday.

The newspaper writes, citing importers and customs brokers, that the action of AT officials aims to "tighten the siege to collect revenue. And this is also due to the international economic situation due to the conflict in Eastern Europe, which the AT seeks to circumvent with the "fraudulent scheme.

The dispatchers report that after Kudumba does the non-invasive verification of the goods, the Maputo International Maritime Terminal (TIMAR) sends the goods to the Division of Customs Valuation (DPVRA) where the carriers are held for long hours and then received a recommendation to increase the costs. With this, importers are forced to pay more than they should to clear their goods.

Importers say that this is illegal, more so because the flow of imports used to come more from China and that reality has changed, "but even with that Customs still wants to continue collecting revenue."

There's more! One of the importers says that the retention of their transport at Kudumna results in them paying for parking, "a practice that often occurs on weekends," so that they are left with no alternative to immediately appeal the measure.

"AT employees purposely delay work on Fridays and don't start work until late in the day," reported one importer.

Importers say that this situation is only overcome after a "negotiation" with the Tax Authority agents. "They charge between 50 and one hundred thousand meticais [to shorten the exit time, i.e., to pass the border on the same Friday]." And in this scheme "there are customs brokers who serve as intermediaries between Customs and the importers."

Importers doubt, from a legal point of view, the revenue-raising ambitions of the AT, since China, from where they import most products, has reduced exports.

"Where are they going to pick up the revenue?" they question.