Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) in MoU with BAT Zambia and ZACCI

BRITISH American Tobacco (BAT) Zambia together with the Zambia Chamber of Commerce Industry (ZACCI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to improve the working conditions of DEC and ultimately to ensure successful crime prevention and prosecution.

Last year alone, Zambia lost more than K50 million due to uncollected revenue resulting from smuggled products into the country.
The timeline of the MoU will be three years, during the course of which DEC will receive IT equipment and support to improve the commission’s law enforcement and prosecution for various offenses including smuggling.

Speaking in Lusaka, Head of Legal & External Affairs at BAT Zambia Hugo Gomes said that the company moved to assist the DEC in bettering its services as it was another way that the country could stem the flow of illicit trade and enforce revenue collection.

“This support will see us providing IT equipment to the DEC which we believe we will be giving a small contribution to improve the work conditions to the staff and perhaps, also contribute to mitigate the kind of crimes DEC is specialized in,” Gomes said.

The initiative through a Memorandum of Understanding among BAT Zambia, Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) and DEC was signed at the DEC headquarters.

And DEC Commissioner Alita Mbahwe noted that the MoU demonstrated that organizations are all taking part in the fight against organized crime in Zambia. She affirmed that the MoU will further the efforts of the DEC in its quest for enforcement of the law.