Customs harmonisation must move to the top of the agenda

Trade facilitation must move

to the top of the agenda – and

it’s up to every country in the

southern African region to

ensure the free flow of cargo.

That’s the view of

Lucas Barreto,

chairman of the

Botswana Freight

Forwarders’

Association,

who believes that too often cargo

is stopped within countries several

times for the same reason – simply

because the left hand does not know

what the right hand is doing.

“If cargo is not flowing freely

within our own borders then how

can we expect it to do so in the

region,” he told FTW.

“One will find a truck stopped

and searched – and released – by

customs officials at the border,

only to be stopped 10km later by

a traffic official who

looks for the exact

same thing. And 10km

later it has to stop at

a weighbridge. There

is no need for this

as it only introduces

inefficiences.”

In some

countries,

different regions

or provinces

implement

different rules

which prevent

the free flow of

cargo.

“We

have to

improve the levels of trust between

countries and we need to stop

delaying cargo and move it faster

and more efficiently,” said Barreto.

“There are numerous examples of

regional customs agreements yet

cargo is being stopped for the same

reason not only several times in one

country, but several times across

the region. It is

not efficient. It

is adding to the

costs and as a

region we cannot

afford this.”

He said

harmonised

systems were

critical.

“If we want to

improve the flow

of cargo then we

must be uniform

in the region

when it comes to systems. It will

also go a long way towards ensuring

compliance. At the moment our

systems are such that one may

be complying in South Africa

but that very compliance means

one is overruling the Botswana

government. Operating in such an

environment is near impossible,”

said Barreto.

“Same systems and procedures

for the entire region should be

something every country is fighting

for. That way a transporter knows

what they are dealing with and what

the requirements are. Self-regulation

will undoubtedly improve.”

At the same

time, said

Barreto, the

movement of

cargo also had to

be cost effective.

“It is extremely

expensive at the

moment. What

makes the matter

worse is that one

simply cannot

predict what you

need to give a

driver for permits

and weighbridges as it changes daily

in each and every country. Today you

pay $50 but tomorrow that same

weighbridge is charging $60. There

is simply no standardisation of rates,

and with that no transparency –

which makes for extremely difficult

operating conditions.”

INSERT & CAPTION

We have to improve the

levels of trust between

countries and we need to

stop delaying cargo.

– Lucas Barreto