The first phase of the new Customs Act – to be renamed the ‘Excise Duty Act’ – will “likely” be implemented in the 2016/2017 financial year.
So said Tom Moyane, commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (Sars), delivering the keynote address at the South African Freight Forwarders’ Association (Saaff) congress which kicked off in Durban today.
The date was welcomed by an industry insider who told FTW Online that there had been some confusion around the implementation dates with industry bracing itself for the implementation of the licensing and registration phase during this financial year.
Moyane acknowledged that Sars was aware of industry concerns around the new Customs bills, pointing out that the new regulations would not be implemented until extensive consultation with industry had been concluded.
“The primary reasons for the new acts are to combat illicit trade and facilitate legitimate trade and we will collaborate with industry to ensure the new regulations achieve this,” he said.
Moyane said the Excise Duty Act would be rolled out over three phases, with licensing and registration being the first phase. A specific implementation date has yet to be determined for the last two phases, he said.
