Faulty documentation
still a problem
CUSTOMS NOW reckons it has the duty refund process almost sorted out, and now up-to-speed, according to Coenie Basson, deputy director of refunds.
After the forwarding industry last year condemned the speed of obtaining refunds - Six months to a year is quite normal, FTW was told in early February, 1997 - steps were implemented to try to cure the delay.
Some people in the trade went to see the commissioner, and he instructed the department to send out a circular to the local offices, said Les Geffen, now deputy director (imports), but at that time in charge of refunds. This, he added, was to assess just how much of the refund process could be handled at local office level, following the forwarding industry request to bring more of the process down to this regional level.
This was discussed, said Basson, but - in an audit circumstance - this was rejected.
Other procedures were however introduced to try to speed up the process. The biggest problem was the Post Office delivery delays, said Basson. So last August we implemented a courier system countrywide, guaranteeing delivery to Cape Town in 14 hours, for example.
And this seems to be working. For the last eight months we have had no carry-over.
It's now an average of 14 days.
In Pretoria maybe, said Des Mooney, chairman of the Transvaal Association of Freight Forwarders (Taff). But we've identified quite a few delays, mostly in the regional offices (through which all applications for refunds have to be channelled initially).
Two to two-and-a-half months on average is about the time it takes.
Peter Krafft, chairman of SAAFF (SA Association of Freight Forwarders) agrees.
If it's deposits, it's about two weeks, he said. But then that's at local office level. Through head office in Pretoria - two months is more like it.
But it's better than the longer periods that we've faced before.
And that decentralisation proposal is still at the front of the agenda, Mooney added. They (Customs) are looking at a programme which could make straightforward refunds quicker - when they are dealt with at local office level.
But, all agree, one tariff dispute and you're out. Anything which requires audit procedure of tariff headings is a Pretoria matter. However, Geffen points out that the five new computers allocated to the department last year were slotted in to the audit section. That speeds up that part of the process, he told FTW.
And Customs is still adamant that a lot of the problems that lead to delays are due to faulty documentation from the agents, according to Basson.
I think there has been a slight improvement in documentation, he said. But still a large proportion of the rejected claims are due to poorly completed paperwork.
Not that there's not some argument against this assertion. You must make submission to the local customs office, said Edward Little, executive director of SAAFF, and then it is put through to head office in Pretoria. But local and HO often seem to differ in their documentary demands.
However, all are also agreed that things are getting better - although not necessarily at earthshaking intensity.
