Changes To Customs & Excise Act – Workshop The South African Revenue Service (Sars) will host an information session on the 2008 Legislative Changes to the Customs and Excise Act. It has been scheduled for 22 November 2008, from 10:00 to 14:00 in Pretoria. Tariff Applications – Comment Due Proposed reduction in the rate of duty on alphabetical, anatomical, botanical, mathematical and other education charts (“posters”) to free of duty by the creation of a separate 8-digit tariff subheading. Proposed reduction in the rate of duty on pencil leads, black or coloured, from the current rate of duty of 20% ad valorem. Proposed withdrawal of certain rebate provisions in Schedule No.3 “Industrial Rebates of Customs Duties” and Schedule No.4 “General Rebates of Customs Duties, Fuel Levy, and Environmental Levy” to the Customs and Excise Act. The intention of the application is to establish whether there are any industry role-players who are still making use of these rebate items, or would have any objection to them being withdrawn. The notice covers 27-pages of rebate items, implements, electrical generators, batteries, distributor parts, electric filament lamps, storage water heaters, radios, insulated electric wire, prepared unrecorded media, antennas, earth leakage relays, integrated circuits, motor vehicles, mine shuttle cars, semi-trailers, railway and tramway locomotives. Comment is due by 05 December 2008. Soda Ash Industry – Comment Due The Minister of Trade and Industry has announced that in accordance with the provisions of the Competition Act he may designate an industry, after consultation with the Minister responsible for that industry, for the purpose of an application for the exemption from provisions of the Competition Act. All interested parties that wish to comment may do so by no later than 28 November 2008. Registration: Wool Importers & Exporters The Department of Agriculture has published notices in respect of the (i) Continuation of statutory measure – Registration of producers and persons dealing with wool in the course of trade, and (ii) Continuation of statutory measure – Records and returns by brokers, traders or wool buyers, processors, importers and exporters of wool.
