Customs enlists support of airlines over customs stops

ALAN PEAT
IN THE on-going saga of SA Revenue Service (Sars) customs demanding that stopped aircargo must be brought to the Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) for examination things have taken a further step. This follows the customs decision that examinations conducted at the premises of exporters or their agents bear the risk of post examination manipulation. But customs, agreeing with the SA Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) and recognising that their first choice of the airport car park was not the best or safest examination point, are now looking for co-operation from the airlines. Said Saaff executive director, Chris Richards: “Without any other suitable facilities, customs are hoping to get the airlines to play a part in the process. “This would be to accept examinations at the bond stores, and to hold onto the goods while waiting for the DA74.” The MD of a Saaff-member forwarding company suggested that this latest “change of the goalposts” had its problems. “They don’t have space to handle the stops outside the customs building at the airport,” he told FTW. “The latest “verbal” ruling is that agents must take cargo to the airlines or their handling agents and customs will arrange inspection at the airline. “But the problems are that, apparently, no-one from customs discussed this with the airlines who are also tight on space, and unaware of the new ruling. “Also the airlines are instructed by customs not to accept cargo from agents (or exporters) unless there is a valid DA550 – so customs are now issuing conflicting instructions.”