Customs outlaws faxes to thwart currency scams

SHIPPED ON board fax details will no longer be accepted for clearance by the department of customs and excise in the Gauteng region. Instead groupage agents are now required to submit a copy of the original ocean bill of lading.
This has been implemented, according to a customs department spokesman, because some agents have been altering the shipped on board date on previous faxed items, often affecting the dollar exchange rate at the time of clearance.
The ocean bill of lading contains the bill number, the vessel name and the date of being shipped on board, which is now required.
Agents have, however, complained that this will have a negative effect on clearance time of shipments. The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) is currently holding discussions with the department of customs in Pretoria on the matter.
By Leonard Neill