Airfreight industry calls for more action on security by Acsa

The air cargo community has expressed frustration at the unwillingness of the Airports Company of SA (Acsa) to participate in improved security initiatives, according to Alwyn Rautenbach, MD of Airlink Cargo and vicechairman of the Air Cargo Operators’ Committee (Acoc). This follows a year in which Acoc has pushed for improved access and egress control at OR Tambo International Airport (Ortia) in Johannesburg and other airports – suggesting a greater use of the identification verification system (IVS). The system was chosen by the air cargo industry in SA to identify and control cargo drawers and warehouses, and has been adopted by the cargo handlers, Swissport and the national carrier, SAA. “We’re using it for withdrawals and linking all forwarding agents to it,” Rautenbach told FTW. “We have also been trying to have it linked to access control at Acsa’s Ortia warehousing – where it would identify everyone entering or exiting the area and for scanning cargo at the terminal.” Once this is achieved, Acoc recommends its roll-out to Cape Town and then to the other airports around the country. But, despite being presented with a convincing case, Rautenbach added, Acsa has remained frustratingly inactive in implementing the system. The SA Revenue Service (Sars), on the other hand, has made huge progress with the second item for 2012 on Acoc’s agenda – the automation of customs procedures. In this Acoc supported Sars’ efforts to link all the procedures affecting air cargo onto electronic data interchange (EDI), and the committee was encouraged with the introduction last May of Sars’ automated cargo management (ACM) system – the electronic solution for the receipt and processing of prescribed reports for international cargo imported to or exported from SA. “This Sars initiative has brought about a great improvement in import and export procedures,” said Rautenbach, “with everything now all-electronic. “We and been performing very well with customs, and this has been evidenced by the implementation of ACM.”