A US$97 million project to upgrade Beitbridge Border Post was recently shelved, leaving the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority stuck with its old system.

Travellers will also have to endure congestion and inconveniences a little longer as the mega project would have transformed the place into a state-of-the-art border post.

The project, which was due to be built under a Public-Private Partnership would have seen a major face lift for Beitbridge.

Zimra Commissioner General, Gershem Pasi, on Monday said engineers were already on site following the conclusion of the deal but he was surprised recently to hear that they had been removed.

He was giving oral evidence before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion chaired by Goromonzi North MP Cde Paddy Zhanda.

The committee wanted to know what Zimra was doing to address challenges obtaining at border posts.

Mr Pasi said an agreement by the investor was entered into involving the ministries of Finance, Home Affairs, Regional Integration and International Co-operation, Local Government, Rural and Urban Development and Ministry of Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development.

"They went into an agreement with the company to do a PPP to make modern infrastructure we have been crying for all these years," said Mr Pasi.

"The company went on site and they helped us with temporary structures in 2010 . . . that contract has been cancelled. We tried to get reasons why it was cancelled but we have not been availed with any. When we checked with principal directors in the various ministries, they did not seem to know why it was cancelled.

"Now that the contract has been cancelled, we are really at a loss as to how to move forward because we have a serious challenge of under funding."

Finance Minister Tendai Biti announced in December last year during a tour of the border post that Government had terminated the contract. He said the contracted company had failed to start work within the agreed 14 months.

But the Ministry of Regional Integration and International Co-operation issued a statement last month saying the contract was still on.

The upgrade would have seen traffic diverted into three streams for the different vehicle categories. Old buildings were set to be replaced with new ones.

A 5km road would have been constructed as well as 250 free standing houses for staff.Mr Pasi said the major project had been their sole hope, given the perennial under funding State entities endure owing to limited fiscal space.

Ceilings of some buildings are almost falling at the border, he said, adding that Zimra did not see it as prudent to renovate them when they knew that they will soon be demolished to pave way for new infrastructure.

"Last year for capital development, we had bid for US$105 million but we got US$22 million and this is for the whole country," he said.

 "There was not even a discussion that we are cutting this and you can do that, you are just given a figure which is not adequate."

The committee asked Mr Pasi why there were still delays at Chirundu Border Post yet it was now a One Stop Border Post.

Mr Pasi said the One Stop Border Post was not yet fully functional.This was because there was lack of connectivity as donors who funded Zambia refused to do the same for Zimbabwe for political reasons.

On corruption, Mr Pasi said Zimra was tough on workers who engaged in the vice."I have closed Forbes Border Post after we arrested 17 officers and a supervisor as well as a clearing agent for corruption," he said.

"We have a disciplinary code, but the problem is that it is good as long as it does not touch relatives of senior people."

On duty, legislators wanted to know whether or not Zimra gives advice to Treasury before decisions such as the re-introduction of duty on clothes, shoes and blankets was made.

"Yes we do advise and that is just what it is, when you advise it can be taken on board or not, you cannot go and say why have you not taken my advice," he said.

Mr Pasi said he had not been consulted in the formulation of the 2012 budget, but when he got a copy, he wrote a letter to Finance Minister Tendai Biti giving his views on its implications.