Customs Modernisation Release 2 The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has announced that for all operational queries during the implementation period of Customs Modernisation Release 2, the following escalation process should be followed: Firstly, call or mail the branch contact person. If you have no response to your query, contact the branch manager, then the regional executive and finally the group executive. For ease of reference the branch managers’ details are provided. Port Elizabeth / Port Elizabeth Airport: Johann Scheepers, Jscheepers@sars. gov.za, 083 561-5140, and 041 503-0303. East London: Leon Cilliers, Lcilliers@sars.gov. za, 082 778-9745, and 043 711-2116. King Shaka Airport: Yogi Govender, Ygovender@ sars.gov.za, 082 857-4287, and 032 436-9024. Richards Bay: Willy Roelofse, Wroelofse@ sars.gov.za, 083 555-4598, and 035 780-7523. Cape Town International Airport: Musa Nchukana, Mnchukana@sars. gov.za, 082 464-8969, and 021 413-6639 Customs Modernisation rolls out to six more offices Six more Customs offices – King Shaka International Airport, Richards Bay, Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth International Airport, Cape Town International Airport and East London – implemented what is known as Customs Modernisation Release 2 from last weekend (August 20). Release 2 involves the introduction of an electronic case management system, a new inspection process and electronic submission of supporting documents. The aim is to eliminate all manual processes at these offices as far as possible and through greater automation, to speed up the inspection process, a Sars spokesman said This follows the implementation of Release 2 at the four main Customs offices – OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town – in June this year, and another three offices – Pretoria, Germiston and Bloemfontein – on the weekend of August 6. During the last rollout, the concept of “virtual hubbing” was implemented for the first time at the Bloemfontein and Pretoria Customs offices, the spokesman explained. “What this means is that Customs has taken the first steps towards centralising its backend functions in four “hubs”, or Compliance Centres – in Durban, Cape Town, Alberton and Doringkloof. Eventually, officers located in these four hubs will be able to conduct documentary inspection and finalisation/ adjustment on any cases routed to them from anywhere in the country, thus making efficient use of Sars resources and helping to eliminate possible corruption at the ports, the spokesman explained. “The new system allows for workload balancing between various Customs offices according to their present workload. The workload balancing has already been implemented for the Bloemfontein and Pretoria offices.” A similar pattern will be followed by the next six offices, the spokesman added. “For this rollout, when clients receive a systemgenerated notification calling for supporting documents, they are asked to submit them via one of the electronic channels that Sars has made available – either through software, called e@syScan, or at one of the bulk scanning centres which have recently been established in Durban, Cape Town, Alberton and Doringkloof. For more information on Customs Modernisation go to the Sars website (www.sars. gov.za), click on Customs and Excise, then Customs and Border Management and then Customs Modernisation.
