Customs stop complaint rallies Sars and Saaff to action

The issue of Customs stops and their collateral damage in terms of storage and overstay charges for importers has once again come to the fore. Rafael Rincon of Intercargo turned to FTW in desperation after his complaints to SA Revenue Service had seemingly been ignored. These specifically related to a container detained by the Customs Border Control Unit on September 23. Efforts to have the Johannesburgmanifested container moved to Johannesburg for customs examination were ignored, according to Rincon, and while his company provided the CBU with all relevant import and clearing documents, they were instructed to move it into a licensed depot in Durban for examination. After much correspondence back and forth, it took until October 12 for Sars to confirm that the classification was correct and that the container would be released. “During this entire process, never did we receive a written communication from Customs Border Control and nor did they provide us with a written explanation of what was transpiring,” said Rincon, who feels that his clients were left with the impression that his company was not adequately performing its duties – when this was not the case. FTW contacted Dave Watts, SA Association of Freight Forwarders maritime adviser, who said he had raised the question of CBCU stops at the association’s September stakeholders’ meeting. “The general consensus from Saaff and non-Saaff members present was that the situation was not untoward regarding delays,” he told FTW. “I raised the matter because I had heard at the National Stakeholders that there were some complaints but there was possible confusion there with PSS (Border Police) stops – and this is not the case here,” he said. Watts agreed to take up the issue with the CBCU leader directly. Sars told FTW it was prohibited from discussing the details of specific cases in public, but would be meeting directly with the client in question to discuss the circumstances. “We would like to reiterate that Sars tries at all times to act expeditiously in these matters as trade facilitation is of the utmost importance to us,” a spokesman said.