The Port Liaison Forum (PLF) in the Western Cape, an initiative of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has welcomed an undertaking by customs officials to re-examine the cargo scanner at the port. According to PLF chairman, Mike Walwyn, meetings with Transnet and customs over increased costs associated with the scanner have been ongoing, and they have seemingly paid off with customs agreeing to take an in-depth look at the scanner, its operations and the way that containers are moved to and from the stack. “One of the complaints has consistently been the increase in costs for the movement of containers between the stack and the scanner for inspection, which is undertaken by the shipping lines as they, according to legislation, have control over the boxes until released by customs,” said Walwyn. “Industry has been of the opinion that these movements can be done by Transnet Port Terminals as they have the mandate to move boxes in the terminal even if not yet released and that it would be at a far more reasonable cost. There has been no agreement on this and no-one is really in a position to make the call.” He said customs had however indicated to him and other PLF members that they did not see this being a problem and that in fact in their estimation it was legal for TPT to move boxes. Walwyn said officials had undertaken to take up the matter at head office in Pretoria as a matter of urgency. This comes after several incidents in Cape Town where stopped containers incurred massive costs. In one case two out of a consignment of five containers were stopped for customs inspections with the final bill in excess of R100 000. “This is a situation that simply cannot be allowed to continue,” said Walwyn. “The issue is not with the scanner itself, although it has become clear that the quality of scanning is not as high as was initially envisioned and is an indication why nearly all scanned containers are referred for physical inspections as well. The transport, haulage, lift on and off fees, the depot charges are escalating higher and higher. Finding a solution has become imperative.”
In one case two containers were stopped for inspections with the final bill in excess of R100 000. – Mike Walwyn
