‘Business suffers from fiscal-driven environment’

I personally represent the Customs portfolio with ASABOSA ASL (Association of Shipping Lines and their agents). Industry would extend compliments to SARS, their employees and their successes in generating the necessary funds to address the many socio economic problems South Africa has inherited. The fiscal drive however has fostered a situation within Customs where officials across the spectrum have been given performance-based tools which have promoted an environment which is fiscal driven. The blinker horse mentality “generally speaking” is having a major negative effect on business given the service apathy displayed by certain individuals, and management styles. We within industry will offer the following service areas where we are heavily disadvantaged, to the point of financial ruin and imminent job losses in the long term: • 80% of the time no-one takes calls at Customs Pretoria or Durban, let alone switchboard answering calls or continually cutting off calls. • The CargoManagement@sars.gov.za interaction / communication offers varied good and poor turnaround time. • The client service charter clearly advertised within all public areas of Sars is often contradicted on the ground. • Very poor response time in answering letters, requests and applications submitted – especially on very simple matters. • Very poor turnaround time with refunds. • Noted ignorance of the Act where officers stop goods where there is no provision for doing so. • The lack of clarity on Sars/Customs service obligation in terms of the law. As a result many officers do not believe they indeed have service obligations – despite continually referring to the public as clients. We, without being unfair, would ask that Sars uses their consultants within industry to put their service levels to the test by creating “dummy query cases” and trying to obtain answers by all necessary means. In this respect we would ask Customs and Sars to identify what the negative financial effect poor service /response has on business. Raymond Henstock,