Although last year saw SA Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Pravin Gordhan loudly trumpeting the progress of the authorised economic operator (AEO) concept in SA, there has been a bit of a verbal paralysis surrounding the Sars’ plans to pilot the scheme since then. But it has been anything but forgotten about, according to Erich Kieck, who is Sars’ man-in-charge of the concept. Indeed, “it’s very much still on the cards,” he said, “and strongly in view on our radar.” However, although he was able to give us an off-therecord update, FTW has to wait until the information is cleared before we can issue it for public release. Part of the delay in furthering the concept in SA, according to Andre Erasmus, senior manager at customs and trade consultants, Deloitte, is probably being caused by the need for Sars to align its AEO procedures with those of the various customs authorities of SA’s trading partner countries.
