Industry has called for
improved public and private
sector engagement around
the implementation of the
new Customs Bills to ensure
they keep South Africa Inc
competitive on a global and
regional trade platform.
While an implementation
date for the new legislation
has not yet
been set, it
will be rolled
out in seven
phases, with
the first phase
focusing on
licensing and
registration,
according
to a senior
South African
Revenue
Service (Sars) official.
Sars executive: customs
operations, Penny Bologo,
speaking at the 3rd Logistics
Business Breakfast which
was jointly hosted by the
Johannesburg Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
(JCCI) and the Southern Africa
Shippers, Transporters and
Logistics Council (SASTALC)
in Johannesburg last week,
said that more details of the
roll-out would be provided
by Sars commissioner, Tom
Moyane, at the annual South
African Association of Freight
Forwarders
(Saaff)
congress in
October.
“We are
currently
engaging
with all our
southern
African
business
partners on
the various
aspects of the new Bills as we
are aware that a successful
roll-out and implementation
is not possible without the full
collaboration and support of
all industry role players,” she
said.
Bologo acknowledged
that there were bound to be
“teething issues” when the
Bills came into effect and said
that Sars call centres would be
operational on a 24-hour basis
to provide support and answer
any queries that may arise.
She recognised the need for
improved engagement and said
that Sars would be launching
industry forums to ensure
continuous communication
with its private sector partners.
Juanita Maree, director of
global forwarding company
Savino del Bene, said that
industry was “very nervous”
to implement the new
acts, commenting that the
underlying issue around
this was across-the-board
compliance.
She added that the Customs
Bills – and any other legislative
changes introduced into
an already over-regulated
environment – needed to be
implemented in a way that
enabled South Africa to become
more globally competitive.
“Regulatory changes have to
facilitate trade and investment,
not hamper it.
Furthermore,
as forwarders
we need to fully
understand
the full extent
of the risks
associated with
these new Bills:
what they are,
what the risk
behaviours
should be and
how we can
manage and mitigate these
risks,” Maree said.
CEO of SASTALC,
Brenda Horne Ferreira,
commented that the
successful introduction of
new regulations would only
be possible if there was full
collaboration between all
private and public sector
stakeholders.
She believes the greatest
challenge with the
implementation of new
customs regulations and
procedures for cross-border
trade in
South Africa
is how
well they
interlink
with the
country’s
neighbours
and trade
partners.
“We
cannot
simply
work in
isolation as South Africa
Inc. If we have efficiency on
one side of the border but
systems and processes do
not align on the other side,
there will be congestion at
border posts causing delays
and increased cost which
will negatively impact on
regional integration,” she
said.
INSERT & CAPTION 1
Customs Bills need to
facilitate trade, not
hamper it.
– Juanita Maree
INSERT & CAPTION 2
There are bound to
be teething issues
when the bills come
into effect.
– Penny Bologo
