This is the last column of 2008. Thank you for all the comments and support during the year. I wish you and your families a restful and peaceful festive season. But, before you leave the office, there are a number of tariff applications of which you need to take account. These are expected to be the last for 2008 and comment is due on 02 January 2009. The proposed review of the customs tariff dispensation pertaining to oil cakes with a view to reducing the duties. The applicant believes that immediate interventions are a possible means of reducing food prices, especially considering that oilcake is a major input into beef and poultry. In addition, the Department also believes that a reduction or removal of duty might have some positive effects in either marginally reducing the cost of producing those meat products or stabilising their prices. The proposed reduction of the customs duty (duty) on vulcanised rubber bands in immediate packaging of 20 kg or more from 15% ad valorem to free of duty by the creation of a new 8-digit tariff subheading. The applicant stated that the rubber bands used for the bundling of newspapers, books, letters, currency notes etc were not manufactured in the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu). The proposed increase in the rate of duty on reception apparatus for television, whether or not incorporating radiobroadcast receivers or sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus, not designed to incorporate a video display screen from a rate of duty of 0% (free) to a rate of duty of 15% ad valorem. The applicant stated that the recent changes to the domestic digital television market, liberalisation of the Pay-TV sector via allocation of additional licences, digital terrestrial television migration programme and corporate governance of Multi-choice Subscriber Management Services will see numerous foreign imports of set top boxes entering the Sacu market. The proposed rebate of the duty, through the creation of Rebate Item 460.27 “Goods, entered for home consumption before 31 December 2010, in such quantities, at such times and under such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa may allow by specific permit, for the installation of fuel pipeline systems used by pipeline operators registered in the Republic (South Africa) to distillate fuel:” (i) Flanges and but-welding fittings of iron or steel; (ii) Automatic circuit breakers and switches, with moulded casing of plastics or other insulating material with a current rating not exceeding 800A; (iii) Valves for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like; (iv) Other electrical AC motors, multi-phase, of an output exceeding 750W; (v) Electric generating sets with compressionignition internal combustion engines (diesel or semi-diesel), those of and output not exceeding 75kVA and those with an output exceeding 375kVA; (vi) Other transformers, having a power handling capacity exceeding 1KVA but not exceeding 16kVA; (vii) Primary cells and primary batteries, lithium; (viii) Board, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases, equipped with two or more apparatus for electric control or the distribution of electricity, including those incorporating instruments or apparatus of Tariff Chapter 90, and numerical control apparatus (excluding switching apparatus), for a voltage not exceeding 1000V equipped with apparatus; and (ix) Other electrical conductors, for a voltage not exceeding 1000V, not fitted with conductors (excluding those of a voltage not exceeding 80V). The applicant stated that most of the equipment components to be used for the construction of the 16 inch and the 24 inch pipelines were not available in Sacu.
