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
