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Mozambique: Tax Authority denies customs tariffs hike after Maputo airport protest
3:01 CAT | 01 Jul 2025
Screen grab: Miramar
The Mozambican Tax Authority (AT) today denied having increased customs tariffs on the unloading of goods at the international passenger terminal of Maputo airport, despite public protests, clarifying that it had reoriented operations to curb possible “illegal practices”.
Fifty informal importers protested this Monday at the international passenger terminal at Maputo airport against an alleged increase in tariffs on the unloading of goods.
“The amount [charged] is too high and ends up not compensating for the type of business we do, that of [selling] clothes (…). We practically don’t know whether to continue doing business or not,” Eduarda Fernandes, one of the entrepreneurs protesting at the airport told Lusa.
The Tax Authority explained in a statement that it had “redirected customs clearance operations to the cargo terminal at Maputo International Airport, in southern Mozambique”, with the aim of “ensuring strict compliance with the rules and procedures applicable to the customs clearance of commercial goods”.
“It is important to clarify that this measure does not imply any change in the customs tax regime or the imposition of new charges. Its aim is exclusively to promote legality, strengthen customs control and prevent illicit practices, such as smuggling and misappropriation of goods, which harm the fiscal and economic interests of the state,” the statement reads.
During Monday’s protest, the group, which imports goods from several countries, mainly China, complained about the increase in fees for the removal of suitcases containing goods, in addition to the fact that luggage was transferred, upon arrival, to the cargo terminal and not the passenger terminal, as was the custom until last week.
Depending on the goods transported, entrepreneurs were paying up to 8,000 meticais (€107) per bag, but since last week the amount has doubled to 15,000 meticais (€200) per bag, according to Eduarda Fernandes, one of the protesters.
The Mozambican Tax Authority indicates, in the document, that the measure to reorganize operations at the cargo terminal of Maputo international airport covers cargo transported by informal operators who import goods from various regions of the world, especially Asia and Brazil.
READ: Mozambique: Small business entrepreneurs protest against “high fees” at Maputo airport – report
Source: Lusa
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