Move to stamp out irregularity
at different offices,
writes Alan Peat
CUSTOMS AND Excise has issued a proposed new policy plan designed to regularise the interpretation and application of a number of procedures relating to the manifesting, movement and delivery of containerised cargo including overcarried cargo.
The patchiness of the procedure application at the customs offices around the country has now reached a worrying level of irregularity. And this section of SARS (SA Revenue Service) is getting its broom out ready to sweep clean, according to a commissioner's policy letter sent out to freight industry bodies around SA by director Gavin Collinet.
The matter has been a subject of uncertaintly for some time now due to conflicting instructions being issued by this office (operations in Pretoria HQ) over many years, which resulted in different rules being applied by different customs offices, according to a document in FTW's possession.
But head office is currently doing an in-depth policy review of all the procedures relating to containerised cargo, Collinet added, and changes to current procedures are hoped to be made before year-end.
In the interim, however, a number of uncertainties need to be cleared up and unifrom procedures need to be applied, says the document.
The proposed uniform procedures it intends to put in place relate to issues like submission of manifests; container destination charges; overcarried containers; physical movement of containers manifested for a container terminal other than the terminal of discharge, or to licensed container depots served by the destination terminal; delivery of containers in general; movement of containers in the harbour area or from the harbour area to container depots serving the port: (A relaxation of certainrights of entry to harbour areas by private hauliers. This is of interest to Durban Harbour Carriers Association which has been fighting for some time to get the right for terminal depot transport of bonded goods); split destination FCL, groupage containers; and penalties where a R1000 penalty guideline amount is being suggested for late submission of acquittal of manifests to replace the current disparities in amounts charged office-to-office. Controller's discretion is of course allowed for.
The policy letter has been sent to three private sector bodies asking for their input - ASL, SAAFF (SA Association of Freight Frowarders) and ASABOSA (Association of Ships' Agents and Brokers of SA).
Once all the inputs have been received and analysed a final letter, in terms of which the proposed measures will be formally implemented, will be prepared and forwarded to the three bodies, said Collinet.
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