Commercial road freight operators moving goods into or out of Botswana will be required to obtain customs approval before travelling to the border from August 1, under new requirements introduced by the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS).
Importers, exporters and transporters of commercial goods by road must submit customs declarations through the BURS Customs Management System before departure.
All required supporting documents must then be uploaded and a “PROCEED TO BORDER” status obtained before the vehicle travels to the border post.
Transporters arriving at a border without the required pre-approved customs declaration could face a fine of up to P10 000 (approximately R12 094).
The new requirements were aimed at improving customs compliance and easing the movement of commercial goods through Botswana’s border posts by ensuring declarations were processed before vehicles arrived, BURS said.
The requirements apply to commercial road freight movements and will affect transport operators, customs clearing agents, importers and exporters using Botswana’s border crossings.
BURS urged industry participants to familiarise themselves with the new procedures before the implementation date to avoid delays, penalties and disruptions to cross-border movements.
