Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) is scheduled to auction part of the impounded and unclaimed goods to the general public.

The RRA acting Director of the Protection Department, Seth Muhirwa told The New Times on Friday at his Kimihurura offices that impounded goods worth Frw40 million will be auctioned to the general public on September 20 at the Revenue Protection Department (RPD) in Gikondo industrial park.

"We are done with thorough investigations on all these goods that we confiscated. They are now ready for sale to the general public,” he said.

According to Muhirwa, most of the property was confiscated from traders operating along the borders of Congo, Kibuye, Rubavu and some along those of Uganda and Tanzania. He expressed disappointment with traders who try to smuggle goods with a motive of dodging import taxes.

"It’s regrettable that traders just deliberately violate the right procedures of importing goods into the country,” Muhirwa said.

"When we get traders in such circumstances, we evaluate their goods including relevant penalties and tell them to clear the bill before they take their goods,” explained Emmanuel Kalinda, RRA’s Superintendent and Principal Revenue Surveillance Officer. He also revealed that the next auction phase will include vehicles and motor cycles which are currently being exclusively investigated.

Kalinda urged traders to always follow the right procedures to avoid such losses. The general public will be given one week to view these goods before they are auctioned. 

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