NAB battles against cross-border smuggling
Illegal products pose risk to food safety
Cross-border smuggling involves the unauthorised transportation of products without complying with relevant regulations, the NAB said.
The cross-border smuggling of agronomy and horticulture products poses a significant challenge to Namibia’s agricultural sector.
“In this context, cross-border smuggling refers to the illegal movement of controlled agronomic and horticultural goods into or out of the country,” the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) said.
This involves the unauthorised transportation of products across borders without complying with relevant regulations, duties and taxes, it added.
Economic gains serve as the primary motivation for individuals engaging in cross-border smuggling.
“By evading import or export duties, smugglers reduce their costs and increase profits by selling the products at lower prices, thereby undermining legitimate Namibian businesses.”
Food safety risk
Smuggling gives rise to several problems, the association noted.
“It undermines Namibian laws, thereby creating an uneven playing field for legal businesses.”
Secondly, it poses a risk to food safety and quality standards as unregulated products of unknown origin enter the market, thus potentially jeopardising the health of citizens, the NAB said.
Smuggling also results in lost revenue for the country, as duties and tariffs go unpaid, hence hindering the growth and development of Namibia’s agronomy and horticulture sectors.
“Although the exact figures of the losses incurred are challenging to determine, most smuggled products have an average value below N$10 000.”
“In this context, cross-border smuggling refers to the illegal movement of controlled agronomic and horticultural goods into or out of the country,” the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) said.
This involves the unauthorised transportation of products across borders without complying with relevant regulations, duties and taxes, it added.
Economic gains serve as the primary motivation for individuals engaging in cross-border smuggling.
“By evading import or export duties, smugglers reduce their costs and increase profits by selling the products at lower prices, thereby undermining legitimate Namibian businesses.”
Food safety risk
Smuggling gives rise to several problems, the association noted.
“It undermines Namibian laws, thereby creating an uneven playing field for legal businesses.”
Secondly, it poses a risk to food safety and quality standards as unregulated products of unknown origin enter the market, thus potentially jeopardising the health of citizens, the NAB said.
Smuggling also results in lost revenue for the country, as duties and tariffs go unpaid, hence hindering the growth and development of Namibia’s agronomy and horticulture sectors.
“Although the exact figures of the losses incurred are challenging to determine, most smuggled products have an average value below N$10 000.”
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