The import of vehicles is now exempt from paying the Customs Services Tax (TSA) as of yesterday, January 28 in the country. The measure was taken by the Directorate General of Customs (DGA).

A Customs document quoted by Notícias states that "in order to guarantee the customs control to which vehicles under the temporary import regime are subject upon their entry into the country, a temporary import license will be issued under the terms established in Article 5(1) of Ministerial Diploma No. 105/2019, of November 12, which approves the Regulation on Temporary Importation of Vehicles."

The document, signed by the director-general, Taurai Inácio Tsama, does not specify the percentage, let alone the amount of the tax to be exempted.

Curiously, the measure was announced after the customs authorities granted a customs exemption of around 19 million meticais to Mozambican businessman Salimo Abdula for the import from South Africa of a luxury Rolls Royce Cullian car, model 2022, with a final declared price of just over 25 million meticais.

The situation has generated huge questions and a feeling of dissatisfaction on the part of civil society given the privileges that the political and economic elites have enjoyed when it comes to importing vehicles, while the average citizen is charged every last penny to import a simple Toyota Vitz.