GOVERNMENT, through the Ministry Transport and Logistics has with immediate effect suspended six senior officials at the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) pending investigations.
In a statement, Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali said the move has been made following the findings by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) which established that about 33, 045 registered motor vehicles at RTSA have no matching records of Customs Clearance.
Mr further explained that the decision to suspend the six officials is as a result of an article issued by the Zambia Revenue Authority entitled “Motor Vehicle Alert to the General Public” which appeared in the Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper of 2nd June 2022.
“He said the alert indicated that ZRA had carried out an exercise to verify if motor vehicles registered at the Road Transport and Safety Agency from 1st January, 2015 to 3 1st October, 2021, were also registered on the Asycuda World and that the required taxes were paid,” reads the statement.
The Minister named the six officials as director and Chief Executive Officer; Gladwell Banda, deputy director of transport Joseph Mumba, head of information Joseph Mumba and Head of Information Communication Technology Brian Sikute.
Others are head of internal audit Vivian Mapunda, manager Information communication Technology Alex Maka and principal registration officer Evand Mwamba.
Mr Tayali said the six affected officials have since been issued with suspension letters as the RTSA Board is in the process of being reconstituted.
This is according to the Ministry public relations Ndubi Mvula.
(Mwebantu, Friday, June 3rd, 2022)