Zambian mission worried with the high number of Zambians being swindled

Zambian mission worried with the high number of Zambians being swindled

Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, February 16, ZANIS…The Zambian Mission in Tanzania says it is overwhelmed with the increased cases of Zambian nationals being swindled in Dar-es-salaam.

Deputy High Commissioner to Tanzania, Elizabeth Phiri said this in Dar-es-salaam yesterday when a Zambian delegation led by Information Deputy Minister Mwansa Kapeya, which is on a Digital Migration Study tour to Tanzania and Kenya, met the mission staff in the boardroom.

Ms. Phiri said that many Zambians importing vehicles and other goods through the port of Dar-es-salaam have been swindled in the recent past because they engaged people they did not know very well to facilitate the clearance of their vehicles and goods with the port office.

Ms. Phiri advised Zambians travelling to Tanzania to seek the services of the Zambian mission, whenever they were importing a vehicle or any other goods through the Port of Dar-es-salaam.

She urged Zambians to free to pass through the embassy when they were in Dar-es-salaam to register their presence so that the mission can advise them on various issues with regards to their stay and business transactions.

“It is important that Zambians visiting Tanzania for various reasons pass through our embassy so that we can also have a record that they are in the country and advise them on various issues. This is why we have been sent here. It is our duty to serve our Zambian community and so it is important that any Zambian national visiting Tanzania passes through our office, “said Ms. Phiri.

She added that the Zambian mission has suggested a new system of identifying agents to clear goods for the Zambians so as to safe guard them and their property.

Ms. Phiri said in coming up with the new system, the Zambian mission intends to work closely with the local police and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) in identifying companies that can be engaged to clear vehicles and other imported goods on behalf of the Zambians.

 Information Deputy Minister Mr. Kapeya, who is also Mpika Central Member of Parliament, is leading a team of Zambian experts on a digital migration on a study tour of Tanzania and Kenya.

The delegation includes National Taskforce chairperson Sydney Mupeta, Director for Press and Planning at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services Beaton Kaluba, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Director of Engineering Malolela Lusambo, and Zambia Information and Communication Authority (ZICTA) Director of Information Communication and Technology Patrick Mutimushi.

The team is on a study tour to learn how the two countries, Tanzania and Kenya are handling the issue of digital migration.

Tanzania switched off the analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasting last year on December 31, 2012.

Tanzania has planned to switch off analogue region by region starting with Dar-es-salaam which was switched off first and it has planned to switch off the entire country by May this year.

In its Legal and Regulatory Framework, the regulator in Tanzania, which is the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has said that its mandatory for the signal courier to ensure that it carries not less than four channels which should be free to air so that those failing to pay for the pay-tv, can at least have access to the free to air channels.

TCRA Acting director General Dr. Joseph Kilongola told the Zambian delegation during a presentation entitled  “REGULATING THE COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR IN TANZANIA “that carrying free to air channels on the digital signal platform will enable the poor to be kept informed on the happenings in the country.

Zambia, like other countries in Africa is in the process of changing the terrestrial television broadcasting platform from analogue to digital

The Zambian Government has indicated that it will partially migrate this year from analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasting.

Information permanent secretary Amos Malupenga has indicated that Zambia is targeting the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) deadline of June 17, 2015 to fully migrate from analogue to digital.