CT industry calls for scanning stats from Sars

Amid continued concern

over the high costs involved

in moving containers

through the high-tech

customs scanner at Cape

Town port, the Port

Liaison Forum (PLF)

has called on customs to

provide industry with the

latest statistics on the

scanner.

A spokesman for the

PLF said this was in an

attempt to determine how

many scanned containers

were still being physically

searched as well.

“There is a perception

by industry that most

scanned containers are

still being stopped for

physical searches. That

also increases the cost

significantly,” he said.

The most recent

information from SA

Revenue Service indicated

that between four and 10

containers were scanned on

a daily basis in Cape Town,

totalling between 28 and

70 per month. On average,

approximately 20% of

these containers were

physically searched as well.

According to the PLF

spokesman, it is believed

that far fewer containers

were being scanned per

day.

“Our information

indicates only about

three containers are

being scanned per day

and the majority are also

searched,” he said. “We are

continuing to engage with

stakeholders – including

Sars and TPT – to find a

solution to address the cost

issue.”

Industry sources

maintain that costs

associated with the

scanning of a single

container now consistently

range between R10 000

and R15 000

while there

have also been

claims of costs

exceeding

R20 000.

Attempts

to address

the

cost issue are

ongoing but no real

progress has been made

since the scanning of the

first container in mid-

2015, according to our

sources.

Sars maintains that they

have found no evidence of

inf lated charges associated

with the scanner and that

it is functioning well,

meeting their goal of

introducing more security

and a more efficient

system.