Ufisadi mwingine wa TISCAN na TRA

[mstahiki]

,

Pata ufisadi mwingine wa TISCAN na TRA hapo chini. Abbreviations za BWM na EL, hope wote mnazielewa.
Hiyo ndiyo "Nchi ya Changa la Macho".


Hili la TISCAN linafahamaika vizuri sana na BWM aliamua kwa ujeuri wa hongo baada ya kupewa recommendations na rafiki yake Jerry Rawlings wa Ghana, na kuamua against the recommendations of his own intelligence officers. BWM alipelekewa hiyo ripoti kuhusu mbinu na tabia za COTECNA ambao wanajiita TSCAN na ripoti ilieleza kwa undani mbinu chafu za Cotecna failures zao kule Ghana, http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/pa...=1&newsid=4509 na Senegal, pamoja na hongo za kumhonga Kofi Anan kwa kupitia kijana wake - Iraq's Food-Oil program.
TISCAN ni jina bandia linatumika na COTECNA kuficha madhambi yake, na representative wao Tanzania (former katibu mkuu) ndiye aliwaambia wabadilishe jina na hii baada ya ku-tender kama COTECNA. Kwa hivyo technically TISCAN NEVER tendered for Container Scanning Services na TRA, Central Tender board wanajua hili .
Baada ya BWM kupewa ripoti na makachero wake yeye badala ya kuamua akawatupia mpira TRA na kuwaambia wao TRA waamue la kufanya. TRA pia waka amuriwa kupitia wizara ya fedha Yona akiwa waziri,waende wakaone shughuli za container scanning zinavyofanywa Ghana, kumbe ni mpango wa COTECNA through BWM.
The Commissioner General of TRA wakati huo marehemu Sanare, baada ya kuelezwa madhambi ya COTECNA akaweka ngumu na kusema hawa Cotecna hawapati hiyo contract. Masikini kumbe Sanare kajichongea, kwa vile wahenga wasema "penye fedheha penyeza rupia". Kumbe zengwe likawa linapikwa Sanare aondolewe TRA, kwa vile yeye ndiye analeta kauzibe, wakati list yote ya wazito pale Mapato House na Matumizi House wameshalainishwa!Basi Sanare ikabidi ahamishiwe PM's office. Sasa kabla ya Sanare kuondoka akambiwa pesa hizi hapa mzee, weka mkono mambo yaende mbele.Wewe unaondoka, mkataba utasainiwa na pesa utazikosa. Sasa amua kusuka au kunyoa! The last contract Sanare signed before he left the office was Cotecnas contract pamoja na hilo jamaa wakamtolea nje. Kwa kumkomoa zaidi, wale aliokuwa amewafanyia kauzibe TRA, wakaamua kumnyan'ganya hata gari lake na kutaka kumfukuza kwenye nyumba hadi EL akaingilia na kuamua kumuuzia nyumba wakati yuko mahututi! Sanare amekufa na frustrations za kunyanyaswa na wenzake TRA kwa vile alikataa kucheza dili zao !

Issue ya TScan siyo siri wala lolote, data zote zipo na zinajulikana, zengwe lililochezwa hata usalama wa taifa wanalijua na walimweleza BWM kama rais atoe uamuzi lakinia he acted otherwise. Yaania hata VIN number ya hilo gari lao la Scanning inajulikana. Liko re-fubrished kwa vile baada ya kupinduka Ghana lilipelekwa Ujerumani kukarabatiwa. Bei ya hilo gari imezidishwa zaidi ya mara tatu ya jipya wakati ni used. Halafu la kusikitisha ni kuwa undeshaji wa scanner hiyo TRA officials hawausiki. Risk management and assessment na profiling of importers TRA kwao ni ndoto wanawategemea TISCAN!

Lingine linaloudhi ni hili, TIScan are supposed to do Destination Inspection na hii ndiyo ilikuwa kigezo cha kuanzisha hiyo scanning. This was supposed to replace Pre-Shipment Inspection. Hadi leo hii vyote vinafanywa na kampuni hiyo hiyo, TISCAN + COTECNA. Wewe leo unatumia pesa zako ulizozihenyea huku nje, na ukatuma mzigo wa vitabu ambao haulipiwi kodi lakini bado utalipishwa 1.2% ambayo TScan wanapewa 0.8% kwa nini.
Did you know that TISCan collects 0.8% of the value of all imports to Tanzania and it is the LAW !!! na 0.4% wanachukua BOT! Na TISCAn wana mkataba wa miaka 10+!!

Amakweli nchi imeuzwa! Tunayasikitikia ya BOT, TRA ni balaa!

 

[Dua]

Kamati ya bunge iundwe ichunguze tuhuma za TRA pamoja na mikataba tata huko bandarini? Nani alipewa pesa kupitisha mikataba isiyo na kichwa wala mkia. We want the truth now!

 

[Augustine Moshi]

Hiki kitu cha makampuni ya nje kushirikiana na viongozi wetu kuwanyonya wananchi kishenzi kiko karibu kila mahali Bongo. Shina la kudumu kwake ni kulindwa na watawala. Bila kubadilisha watawala, ni kucheza dana dana kulalamika.

Wizi na unyonyaji wa hali ya juu Tanzania hautapungua hadi wananchi watakapobadilisha chama kinachotawala. Ni viongozi wa CCM ndio wanashirikiana na makampuni ya nje kuwaibia na kuwanyonya Watanzania. Wanalindwa na serikali na chama tawala katika shughuli yao hiyo.

Kama Watanzania wanapenda kuendelea kutawaliwa na CCM, basi waache kulialia wanapoibiwa na kunyonywa kishenzi. Wavumilie tu.

 

[mstahiki]

Kamati ya bunge iundwe ichunguze tuhuma za TRA pamoja na mikataba tata huko bandarini? Nani alipewa pesa kupitisha mikataba isiyo na kichwa wala mkia. We want the truth now!

Ni aibu sana,Tena nakumbuka ule mkatabawa kitengo cha kontena ulipigawa sana kelele na aliyekuwa CEO kipindi kile,sijui shu ile ilishia wapi..

 

[Kalamu]

Mstahiki:
Hapa umejenga hoja haswa inayostahili kujadiliwa kwa mapana na marefu yake. Nasi wengine tusiokuwa na ufahamu wa kina na mambo haya tunategemea kupata shule kabambe.

Mfano mzuri ni huo mgawanyo wa mapato wa 0.8% TISCAN; 0.4% benki kuu nakadhalika. Inaelekea huu nao ni mradi wa chakula kwa wakubwa wa nchi!

 

[Wakunyuti]

Jamani huu uroho sasa umezidi.. okk kitu nachokiona hapa ni kua hawa watawala wetu wana jitahidi sana kutumia opportunity ya uzembe na ujinga na usingizi wetu wananchi wengi wa Tanzania kutuibia bila kujali kua na wao pia ni watanzania na kumsaidia mgeni toka nje aje aibe kwako uo ni ulimbukeni na wizii na ujambazi wa hali ya juu ambao hauwezi kuvumilika..Ivi nitoe mfano mmoja..Katika familia anatokea mtu tena ni kaka mkubwa katika familia na yeye ni mwizi na kibaya zaidi wizi wake umevuka mipaka mpaka anaita na majirani nao waje kuiba..je kaka huyu mwizi anaye itia hasara familia yetu kila siku inazidi kuonekana maskini pamoja na juhudi zote tunazofanya wana familia..afanyweje????? Ningependa kusema sasa umefika wakati wa kutokubali tena hali hii iendelee na watanzania sasa tuamke tuokoe nchi yetu

 

[Tuandamane]

Jamani huu uroho sasa umezidi.. okk kitu nachokiona hapa ni kua hawa watawala wetu wana jitahidi sana kutumia opportunity ya uzembe na ujinga na usingizi wetu wananchi wengi wa Tanzania kutuibia bila kujali kua na wao pia ni watanzania na kumsaidia mgeni toka nje aje aibe kwako uo ni ulimbukeni na wizii na ujambazi wa hali ya juu ambao hauwezi kuvumilika..Ivi nitoe mfano mmoja..Katika familia anatokea mtu tena ni kaka mkubwa katika familia na yeye ni mwizi na kibaya zaidi wizi wake umevuka mipaka mpaka anaita na majirani nao waje kuiba..je kaka huyu mwizi anaye itia hasara familia yetu kila siku inazidi kuonekana maskini pamoja na juhudi zote tunazofanya wana familia..afanyweje????? Ningependa kusema sasa umefika wakati wa kutokubali tena hali hii iendelee na watanzania sasa tuamke tuokoe nchi yetu

Jamani naumia, naumia, naumia mpaka inafika kipindi naogopa haha kufungua Jambo forums jamani, hivi tutakaa tuandike haya mpaka lini? lini tutaanza kuact??? hivi mnadhani kakuandika hivi wanshtuka???


jamani watanzania muda umefika wa kumrudia MUNGU

 

[Mwafrika wa Kike]

Mstahiki:
Hapa umejenga hoja haswa inayostahili kujadiliwa kwa mapana na marefu yake. Nasi wengine tusiokuwa na ufahamu wa kina na mambo haya tunategemea kupata shule kabambe.

Mfano mzuri ni huo mgawanyo wa mapato wa 0.8% TISCAN; 0.4% benki kuu nakadhalika. Inaelekea huu nao ni mradi wa chakula kwa wakubwa wa nchi!

Kuna watu hapa wanasema kila siku kuwa Kikwete karithi haya madudu na huu ufisadi. Je ni kweli kuwa hata hili litachukua miaka sita kusolve?

 

[Shukurani]

Kwa taarifa rasmi,Karamaghi ndiyo mwenyekiti wa TICTS. Na anapokuwepo mtu huyu ujue ufisadi haukosekani,kwani ni moja wa watu wenye tamaa sana. Amehusika kwa njia moja au nyingine kuhakikisha anapata nyongeza ya contract by TICTS up to 2025,pamoja na mapungufu makubwa ya kampuni hiyo pale bandarini

 

[mTz]

Jamani naumia, naumia, naumia mpaka inafika kipindi naogopa haha kufungua Jambo forums jamani, hivi tutakaa tuandike haya mpaka lini? lini tutaanza kuact??? hivi mnadhani kakuandika hivi wanshtuka???


jamani watanzania muda umefika wa kumrudia MUNGU

Mazee hiyo unayosema kumrudia Mungu hata mafisadi nao wako huko kwa Mungu angalia Askofu Laiser alivyomtetea Lowasa, we need more than kumrudia Mungu

 

[Augustine Moshi]

It's broken beyond repair. It cannot be fixed, it must be replaced. Tangu alipoingia Mwinyi walisema wanakuja na "fagio la chuma" Danganya toto! Hata hii ya JK ya sasa ya "kusafisha" ni danganya toto vile vile.

Kuna wimbo wa zamani ambao kiitikio chake kilikuwa: "Mirija, imeshakatwa, na Mwalimu, haileti Ujamaa!". Kuna mrija kigogo mmoja wa CCM kajiwekea Bandarini. Unaingia mpaka kwenye uti wa mgongo wa Watanzania wote.

Kigogo mwingine kaweka wake parking Dar na Kituo cha Mabasi Ubungo. Kigogo mwingine wa CCM, ambaye baadaye alikamatwa kwa kosa wizi wa silaa, alishika parking Arusha. Wengine waliweka mirija directly penye fedha BoT, etc.

Hawasafishiki, tena wanalindana ajabu! Na sasa wanaelekea hata kutojali msemayo. Vilio huku na kule, lakini wenyewe mirija imetuna midomoni vizuri! Watawanyonyeni hadi tone la mwisho! Si mnaendela kuwapa kula zenu? Ona upuuzi mliofanya Kiteto!

 

[Mfwatiliaji]

Tatizo kubwa ni mfumo wetu wa kiutawala TZ. Hawa watawala hakuna wa kuwafunga speed governor ndiyo maana wanafanya kama tunavyoshuhudia. Ilikuwa ni kazi ya bunge kudhibiti utendaji wa serikali akiwamo raisi.

Lakini kama tujuavyo bunge limekuwa butu,limetekwa na chama tawala, hivyo kushindwa kutimiza wajibu wake.

Kama bunge lingekuwa linatimiza wajibu wake ipasavyo yote haya tusingekuwa tunayasikia.

Hakuna kiongozi wa serikali angethubutu kufanya ufisadi na upuuzi wote tunashuhudia maana angedhitiwa mara moja na kuadhibiwa vikali.

Nchi zenye demokrasia ya kweli wamefika huko walipo kutokana na kufuata misingi yake.Kila mhimili wa dola unatimiza wajibu wake ipasavyo hivyo kurahisisha utekelezaji wa mipango ya maendeleo iliyokusudiwa.

 

[Madela Wa- Madilu]

Hiki kitu cha makampuni ya nje kushirikiana na viongozi wetu kuwanyonya wananchi kishenzi kiko karibu kila mahali Bongo. Shina la kudumu kwake ni kulindwa na watawala. Bila kubadilisha watawala, ni kucheza dana dana kulalamika.

Wizi na unyonyaji wa hali ya juu Tanzania hautapungua hadi wananchi watakapobadilisha chama kinachotawala. Ni viongozi wa CCM ndio wanashirikiana na makampuni ya nje kuwaibia na kuwanyonya Watanzania. Wanalindwa na serikali na chama tawala katika shughuli yao hiyo.

Kama Watanzania wanapenda kuendelea kutawaliwa na CCM, basi waache kulialia wanapoibiwa na kunyonywa kishenzi. Wavumilie tu.

Sas tukisema afadhari utawala wa Sir Richard Turnbull mnasema tumekosa uzalendo.

Wazungu walichukua mali zetu kwenda kujenga kwao Ulaya. Sasa hawa akina Benjamin wamamchinga nao wanatunyonya na kupeleka ulaya wakati wanaishi Sea View akili hiyo??

Huyu Mkapa alinadiwa kwa nguvu zote nchi nzima na Marehemu Mwalimu Nyerere kwamba ni mtu safi na ni mchapa kazi, ukweli ni kwamba Mkapa alikuwa ni mtu aliye fanya kazi kwa mtindo wa yes sir.

Mwal ameondoka Mkapa kawa Jini mnyonya damu na hivi punde yeye na Yona wataanza kula $300,000.00 kwa siku another IPTL and RDC.

 

[Augustine Moshi]

Ni vema Watanzania wakajua "kikulacho ki nguoni mwako". Ndugu zangu, let us not beat about the bush. Kwa nini Rais hataki Balali arudishwe Tanzania? Anaogopa kwamba Balali akiwekwa kizimbani atatoboa siri nyingi za wizi uliofanywa na
viongozi wa CCM.

Kwa bei ya shilingi milioni mia moja kwa darasa, ni kwamba hizo bilioni 133 zingetosha madarasa 1,330. Na sio hizo tu. Mkullo anadaiwa "kukopesha" kilichokuwa chombo cha CCM, SUKITA, shilingi milioni 250 toka fedha za akiba ya walalahoi, bila hata idhini ya bodi husika. SUKITA imedaiwa kusema ilifikishiwa shilingi milioni 10 tu kati ya hizo. Zilikwenda wapi zilizobaki? Na SUKITA ilitaka hizo fedha, si kwa kusudio la kujenga kiwanda au kitu kama hicho, bali ili inunue bia Kenya na kuzileta Tanzania, bila kodi, na kuwalangua wadanganyika.

This CCM thing is a den of vipers.

 

[Pundit]

Kwa taarifa rasmi,Karamaghi ndiyo mwenyekiti wa TICTS. Na anapokuwepo mtu huyu ujue ufisadi haukosekani,kwani ni moja wa watu wenye tamaa sana. Amehusika kwa njia moja au nyingine kuhakikisha anapata nyongeza ya contract by TICTS up to 2025,pamoja na mapungufu makubwa ya kampuni hiyo pale bandarini

Kama ni kweli Mkapa alishinikiza mkataba uongezewe muda kwa nini asishitakiwe yeye na goons wake wote?

 

[Major]

Jamani Jamani Jamani, Hivi Huyu Mkapa Alitufanyaje Jamani? Kwanini Aliamua Kutuchukia Watanzania Kwa Kiasi Hiki Kwani Tulimkosea Nini?

 

[Major]

Ndugu Pinda Ili Tuweze Kushiriki Pamoja Na Wewe Ktk Hii Serikali Ni Lazima Uhakikishe Unavunja Mikataba Yote Ambayo Haina Maslahi Na Taifa Hili La Kama Ukisema Uendelee Tu Kichwa Kichwa Kuongoza Utakwama Tena Vibaya.sasa Kila Mtu Ana Kiu Ya Haki.

 

[Augustine Moshi]

Pinda hana ubavu wa kuvunja hiyo mikataba. Waliosimamia ipitishwe, tena kwa siri, ndiyo hao hao waliochagua nani awe spika, nani awe Mkuu wa Usalama, nani amridhi Lowasa, etc. Kwani nani alimwambia Sitta aombe kuwa spika?

Si sawa kutegemea Pinda alete mabadiliko. Hana huo ubavu.

 

[Morani75]

Heshima mbele wakuu... Naona kuhusu hii issue tuangalie haya mabadilishano ya hisa katika likampuni latu (ooops, lao) la TICTS manake kuna mambo kweli kweli mule ndani.... Kama tutaweza kuvunja mkataba ni moja lakini kubwa ni kwamba tunataka kuvunja mkataba na nani wakati tuliona maozo toka mwanzo (soma comments/hotuba ya Luhigo - in the article below).....

Nimeisoma (compliments to Thisday la leo) na nimepata kidogo ka mwanga kuhusu "Nani mchawi" pale TICTS....

TICTS: The inside story

-Including how the company gained a highly controversial contract extension deal in the midst of increasing performance criticism

THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam
TANZANIA International Container Terminal Services (TICTS), which is at the centre of the ongoing containers congestion crisis at the port of Dar es Salaam, landed the lucrative contract to lease the port's container terminal operations barely five months after being officially registered, it has been learnt.

Investigations by THISDAY have established that TICTS was incorporated on April 19, 2000, and in September of the same year, was awarded a 10-year contract to lease the container terminal which was one of the most profitable units under the then Tanzania Harbours Authority (now the Tanzania Ports Authority).

TICTS won the contract after a public tender process floated by the now defunct Presidential Parastatal Sector Reform Commission (PSRC), which initially attracted 11 bidders.

Official records show that at the time of TICTS' registration, there were a total of eight listed company directors, including Nazir Karamagi (the former minister for energy and minerals who recently resigned over the Richmond corruption scandal) and Gulam Chaka, described as a Tanzanian businessman.

Karamagi is also the director of Vertex Financial Services (Tanzania) Limited, which shares with TICTS the same postal address (P.O Box 13412, Dar es Salaam) and registered office (Zambian High Commission building along Ohio Street/Sokoine Drive in Dar es Salaam City centre).

All key company documents of TICTS were also signed by the ex-minister, who furthermore chaired meetings of the company's shareholders.

On the other hand, Chaka is linked to another company going by the name of DERMEXIM Limited.

Other TICTS directors listed on the registration documents were all foreigners; Thomas Falknor, Noel Mirasol and Jorge Cano (all described as United States of America nationals), Eurique Klar Razon, Jr. from the Phillipines, Johannes Theodorus Mors from South Africa, and Tonny Pieter Bestenbreur from the Netherlands.

It is understood that in May 2000, TICTS made a share allotment to the International Container Terminal Services Inc. of the Phillipines (127,500 shares), ICTSI International Holdings Corporation of the Phillipines (59,999 shares), and Vertex Financial Services (62,499 shares).

The same month, TICTS increased its nominal capital to 2.75bn/- from the original listed capital of 250m/- at the time of its registration.

At an extraordinary general meeting of TICTS shareholders held in Dar es Salaam on February 23, 2001 under the chairmanship of Karamagi, it was resolved to allot 1,551,666 un-issued ordinary shares worth 1,000/- each as follows:

International Container Terminal Services Inc. of the Phillipines (791,350 shares), ICTSI International Holdings of the Phillipines (294,816 shares) and Harbours Investment Limited (465,500 shares).

Vertex is understood to have transferred its TICTS shares to the Harbours Investment Limited company.

In November 2001, International Container Terminal Services Inc. of the Phillipines transferred its shares in TICTS to Hutchison International Port Holdings Limited of Hong Kong.

It was just a few months after taking over operations at the container terminal that serious questions started being raised about the efficiency of the TICTS company.

Reports began to abound that although the container terminal operations traditionally generated high profit margins, revenues started to fall under the TICTS management, prompting the then Tanzania Harbours Authority director general, Samson Luhigo, to publicly criticise TICTS' performance.

Speaking at a function held at the Mtwara Port and also attended by then president Benjamin Mkapa, the THA boss declared:

''A year before privatization of the container terminal in 1999/2000, profit after tax was close to 10bn/-, but a year after privatization in 2000/01, it went down to 4bn/-. The 2001/02 accounts which have been submitted to auditors point to an all-time low revenue of 0.04bn/-.''
Nevertheless, in 2005 - when TICTS was just halfway through its contract � it was Mkapa himself who sensationally ordered the extension of the company's contract by a whopping 15 years.

Hardly a month before the end of his second and final term in office, the ex-president instructed the then Ministry of Communications and Transport to extend TICTS' contract from the initial 10 years to 25 years.

Apart from authorising the contract extension, Mkapa also ordered authorities to allow TICTS to use Berth number 8 and its adjacent land at the port of Dar es Salaam, and granted the company access to the Ubungo container depot to store excess containers that cannot be accommodated in the port area itself due to constraints of storage space.

In the light of the increasing congestion problems at the port of Dar es Salaam, the dubious contract extension has come under closer and closer scrutiny from various sections of the general public, including members of parliament.

 

[Morani75]

Na tukiwa kwenye hili mimi naona niweke hii email ambayo imenifikia kutoka kwa hawa jamaa wanaitwa Autorec.... nilinunuaga gari kwao miaka ya 90 naona wamenikumbuka wakati wana matatizo.... hebu soma na ukiiangalia kuna ukweli mkubwa sana ndani yake....Mimi nimeshayaona haya tena yakiwemo yale ya kuangalia model ya gari kisha kuanza kuongeza gharama za gari eti mnunuaji amedanganya bei!! Inawezekana hilo ni sawa lakini wao TRA bei zao wanapata wapi?? Hii email inaonyesha hata model na mwaka wa matengenezo hawa TRA hawarudi kwa manufacturer but wanaishia kwa Dealers in Dar..............Shame on them TRA (Sio waTanzania bali ni TRA).... Kweli kama ni utaftaji wa kodi basi naona sisi kama nchi tunaongoza kwa "KUFUATA VIJIPANYA KUVITOZA MAKODI MAKUBWA NA WAKATI HUOHUO KUWASAMEHE KODI WAKUBWA WANAOKUJA NA VIMILIONI KUWEZA KUTUIBIA MABILIONI".....
Eee Mola tuongoze na kutuepusha na haya...

Quote:

Dear Customers,

Good day to all of you.
This is Masao Kuwabara of Autorec Tanzania Limited and Toru Ogawa of
Autorec Enterprise LTD. Japan.

Thanks to you, we have been operating business in Tanzania with lots of
joy.

But there have been one serious problem that all the exporters, not
only
Autorec, who do business with Tanzania are facing. We have been making
lots of effort to solve the problem, but it still remains in Tanzania.
Today, I'd like to figure out what is happening in Tanzania against
used
vehicle trade. And we'll appreciate a lot if you'll give us your
advices
on this issue.

As all of you are aware, IMPORT REGULATION against used vehicles have
been started in Tanzania since July 2006. Now if one will import used
vehicles whose age is exceeding 10 years, they will be penalised and
charged extra 20% excise duty.

This kind of regulation is found with several more countries. And as a
trader who do business with Tanzania, we respect the country's policy.
We shall not go against it or complain about it.
Therefore, since this policy started, we have been trying to adjust our
stock so that they will meet the demand of customers in Tanzania. Now
you may find many 1999+ vehicles in our stock.

But there's a serious problem with this policy as it has been operated
without clear definition about the AGE OF THE VEHICLES.

Let us share one sample story here.


1) Unreasonable penalties against some importers in Tanzania

Some time ago, one of the customer has bought JZX100 MARK II 1999model.
As this is of year 1999, definitely, the customer didin't have to be
penalised.
However, once the vehicle reached Dar es salaam port, the officers of
Tanzania's Customs have inspected the vehicle phisically, and finally
started saying that this vehicle is manufactured in 1995! They said so
because they found a small label on the vehicle's seatbelt saying
"1995".
While the vehicle had come with the EXPORT CERTIFICATE issued and
authorised by Govenment of Japan and another certificate issued by JAAI
(Japan Automobile Appraisal Institute), both clearly indicates its year
as 1999, Customs office still insist that this vehicle is of 1995 and
thus should be penalised.


2) Manufactured year of seatbelt is not manufactured year of the
vehicle

Actually, I have done some research about the label on the seatbelt
while I was still in Japan. I have communicated with TOKAI RIKA
company,
who is the manufacturer / supplier of the seatbelts for TOYOTA's
products. They told me that the information on the label of the
seatbelt
simply shows the manufactured year of the seatbelt itself!

In heavy industries such as vehicle manufacture, the products are
manufactured by cooperation of several companies so that they can
reduce
the time and cost.
If it is about this MARK II, there should be seatbelt manufacturer,
window screen manufacturer, computer manufacturer, tyre manufacturer,
electric parts manufacturer, head lamp manufactuer, gasket
manufacturer,
tube manufacturer, bolt & nut manufactuer and so on and so forth.
Each manufactured parts will be brought to the warehouse or the factory
of vehicle manufacturers (such as TOYOTA) and then a unit of vehicle
will be assembled there. It is very much possible for some parts to
spend several months or even more than a year before it will be
assembled to a vehicle.
Therefore, NO BODY CAN DEFINE THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE SEATBELT
LABEL OR ANY OTHER PARTS OF THE VEHICLES.

Especially, with this JZX100 MARK II, it is totally wrong for them to
insist that this was manufactured in 1995. There's a clear reason to
deny their statement.
Why??? Because TOYOTA STARTED SELLING JZX100 IN LATE 1996!! THEREFORE,
IN 1995, THIS PARTICULAR MODEL DIDN'T EXIST EVEN ON CATALOGUES!!!


3) Definition of the vehicles¡Ç ¡Èage¡É in Japan

Unfortunately, we learnt that there are some misunderstandings among
the
Customs officers at the port about definition about the age of the
vehicles. Once they find the labels on the belts like this, they just
disregard the authorized documents and try to charge additional duty
against importers. And this is totally wrong.

Most of the vehicles we sell originate in Japan. Therefore, we process
the paper work and other arrangements based on the documents published
by the Government of Japan, Government of MANUFACTURERS' COUNTRY.

On this official document called ¡ÈExport Certificate¡É, it only shows
the
YEAR OF FIRST REGISTRATION of the vehicles. There¡Çs no information
about
MANUFACTURED YEAR. This is how they control the product in Japan.
Information of manufactured year of the vehicles are not obtainable.

Both for domestic and oversea market, the used / new vehicles suppliers
do the paper work by using the data on this document because there are
no other official documents to identify the vehicles.

But to the Customs in Tanzania, it looks like this document is not
acceptable.

The differences on the definition of the AGE OF THE VEHICLES between
Tanzania and Japan is creating serious problems.


4) Autorec's efforts to solve this problem

One day, I have seen Commissioner for Customs and Excise face to face
in
his office and discussed about this problem.
Unfortunately, there was no good solution on that day. Commissioner
told
me that this is just a minor problem as these are only a few cases
among
lots of cars. Instead, he promised me that he¡Çs going to solve these
one
by one by communicating with the manufacturers in Japan to know the
actual manufactured year once the same case comes out.

Believing his word, when we had another problem with NISSAN MARCH,
chassis number k11-683281, I asked for his assistance. I was thinking
that he has a special relationship with the manufactures in Japan and
he
can get such information that we can not get from them. However,
instead
of contacting NISSAN MOTORS in Japan, he contacted D.T.Dobbie
(NISSAN¡Çs
distributor in Tanzania). Once D.T.Dobie told him that they don¡Çt deal
in used cars, it was the end of his investigation.
We, Autorec, has contacted NISSAN MOTORS by ourselves, explained the
situation, and finally got a letter from NISSAN to identify the
manufactured year of this unit as an exceptional case (they normally
don't publish such information).
We brought this letter to the Commissioner and we believed that this
will be solved. But I was surprised to know the Commissioner's next
action. Once again, he sent this letter from NISSAN to D.T.Dobbie, and
once again, D.T.Dobbie told him that they don't deal with used cars,
and
once again, it was the end of his investigation!
Why should he communicate with D.T.Dobbie while we brought him the
letter from original manufacturer? This is very much not
understandable.
The case remained unsolved.

On another day, I received a letter from the Commissioner as a reply to
my letters. In that message, he was saying that now he understood that
the year on the seatbelt label is not the year of manufactured year of
the vehicle.
But still then, the people of the Customs are still judging the age of
the vehicle by checking the seatbelts and other small parts.

We have been fighting against this misunderstanding. We have been
sending letters to Commisioner of Customs and Excise again and again.
We
send CC to TBS, TRA, Ministry of Finance, JAAI, Embassy of Tanzania in
Japan and Embassy of Japan in Tanzania. We have been appealing that the
importers in Tanzania should not be charged unfair duties from such a
misunderstanding.
Unfortunately, the Commissioner of Customs is not even replying to our
letters these days. Then we have also sent simillar letter to Parmanent
Secretary of Ministry of Finance. We also got diplomatic support from
Embassy of Japan in Tanzania, Japanese Ambassador has sent an official
letter to Ministry of Finance.

We are hearing that in August 2007, by sending letter to the
Commissioner for Customs and Excise, Ministry of Finance has advised
them to reconsider the definition of the age of the vehicle. But we
haven't seen any changes even after that.

We have been explaing all about this to the people mentioned above and
asking them to reconsider the definition of the age of the vehicle.

In January 2008, I have spoken to the people of Embassy of Japan once
again and asked for some diplomatic assistance because I was feeling
that the authority in this country is not interested to listen to the
voice of one small vehicle supplier.
This time, the First Secretary of Embassy of Japan has met Commissioner
for Customs and Excise by himself and discussed on the same issue.
According to the story I heard from the Secretary, the Commissioner has
understood the situation and promissed that he will work on this to
solve the problem.
Embassy of Japan has wrote an official letter once again to appeal that
the vehicles' age should be defined based on the official documents
because there's nothing else apart from that.


5) Problem for Autorec, the supplier

The issue itself is something between the importers and the Customs in
Tanzania. Therefore, the authority treat us as if we are just
outsiders.
It seems as if they are saying that it is not something that a supplier
like Autorec should interrupt. But the situation doesn¡Çt allow us to
sit
behind.

We explain the nature of these problems to the importers (our
customers)
who actually suffered this problem and advice them to insist against
the
Customs that they have the proper vehicle and official documents. But
instead of fighting against misunderstandings of Customs authority,
some
of them actually turn around and start attacking Autorec, saying that
Autorec has sent fake documents / cars and cheated them! Some of them
even threaten us that they are going to take it a court case or attack
us through media.
This is totally not acceptable because Autorec has done nothing wrong
in
the procedures.

Something more unpleasant for us is the fact that some of the Customs
officers, when they found the seatbelt label which has different
information with the official document, tell the importers that the
supplier (Autorec) has tricked them with forged documents!!! We totally
don't understand why people on a responsible position can say such a
irresponsible word without doing researches!!!! This is like exeucting
someone for guilty without properly checking!!! This is a clear
offensive disturbance to our business.
Or they are making us a scapegoat so that the importers will not
complain against them.

And as you can see, this is not a problem only for Autorec, but for the
used vehicle trade business as a whole.
Indeed, this is actually creating a very negative image not only to our
business but for the customers in Tanzania who intend to import used
vehicles from Japan. While we are shipping the right vehicles in right
procedure with proper documents (authorized by the Government of
manufacturer¡Çs country), some importers misjudge that we are cheating
them. This would be a serious damage to us if they continue doing this.

I understand the anger and disappointment of the importers who are
charged of the penalty of 20% against a vehicle they bought as less
10-year-old cars. But even if they attack us, there¡Çs no solution
because there was nothing wrong on our side.

Therefore, we need a fundamental solution.


6) Similar problem and its solution in Kenya

In Kenya, several years ago, they had the same problem as they also
have
year regulation against used vehicle import.
Actually, the problem was more serious in Kenya, because once the
vehicle would be recognised as over 8-year-old, they are simply not
allowed to import that car. Therefore, the importers in Kenya had
fought
against the authority by themselves. Of course, we, the suppliers, also
assisted them.
As a result, Kenya¡Çs Ministries, KRA(Kenya Revenue Authority) and
KBS(Kenya Bereau of Standard) have worked together to solve this
problem, and finally decided to judge the year of the cars based on the
information on the documents. Since then, there has been no such
trouble
on the same issue in Kenya.

This story gives an idea that there's no solution so long as they
continue checking the seatbelts and other parts.

....Thank you very much indeed for reading such a long story. But I'm
sure this is a serious problem that any of you may also suffer.
We have been fighting against this, but as this is an internal problem
in this country, something that a foreigner can do is limited. As an
outsider, we cannot intervene the country's policy.
Not having good fruit after such a lot of effort, we are feeling as if
we are stucked.
Therefore, now we'll appreciate if you'll give us your ideas and view
to
solve this problem.
Once again, thank you very much indeed for your understanding and
assistance to us.
--
Best regards,
Masao Kuwabara

Autorec Tanzania Limited
E-mail : masao@autorectz.com
Address : Room 425, 4th floor, Harbour View Towers, Samora Ave.,
P.O.Box 5023, Dar es salaam, Tanzania
Phone : +255-22-2124101
Fax : +255-22-2124103
Cell : +255-753-193583



Regards,
Toru Ogawa
AUTOREC ENTERPRISE LTD.
E-MAIL: ogawa@autorec.co.jp
TEL: (+81)5675-6-6111
FAX: (+81)5675-6-6511
WEBSITE: http://www.autorec.co.jp
ADDRESS: 2-1 Nishishijimi Yatomi Aichi 490-1427 Japan.