Government Suspends Wheat Customs Duty to Boost Supply

By Mercy Ngoma Government has temporarily suspended customs duty on specified wheat imports as part of measures to facilitate the importation of the commodity. Zambia Revenue Authority-ZRA Corporate Communications Manager, OLIVER NZALA told ZNBC News in an interview that the duty has been reduced to zero percent for qualifying wheat imports, subject to specific conditions. The measure is contained in Statutory Instrument Number 65 of 2026, under the Customs and Excise Number 2 Regulations of 2026. Mr. NZALA said regulations are deemed to have taken effect on the first of September 2026 and will remain in force until the 30th of September, when they will be revoked. Mr. NZALA said the suspension is not a blanket waiver for all wheat importers noting that only importers meeting specific conditions will benefit from the zero-duty rate. The conditions include holding a valid import permit issued by the Ministry responsible for Agriculture. The approved imports total 300,000 metric tonnes of wheat, distributed among 26 specified companies.