There were no tariff and rule amendments published, nor were any tariff and trade remedy applications published, or any comment due.
13th Deferment Payment
In a letter to ‘All External Stakeholders’ dated 01 February, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) Customs & Excise chief officer reminded all customs clients who are deferment account holders to adhere to the 13th deferment payment requirements which are due by each financial year-end. The ‘Customs External Standard-Deferment Document’ (SC-DT-B-02), effective from 27 November 2015, stipulates that, in addition to the twelve regular payment dates chosen by the client, there will be a thirteenth payment in March every year. The statement period for the thirteenth payment of the 2018/2019 financial year will close on 28 March at 00:00
and payment must be made by 15:00 on 29 March. The e-statements will be available at 00:01 on 29 March for account holders who are on e-filing, whereas account holders not on e-filing are advised to make prior arrangement to collect statements at the respective Customs branch offices. Sars advised stakeholders, specifically in cases where their bank did not transfer direct payments immediately, that they should ensure that payments were made in advance in order to meet the payment deadline, otherwise a deferment suspension would be applied in line with the policy.
RCG Enhancement – RFM
On 25 January Sars announced that the Cargo Processing System (CPS) had been enhanced for the implementation of electronic Road Freight Manifests (e-RFM) relating to part-shipment movements of goods across
land borders. More details are available in the updated ‘Reporting of Conveyances and Goods – External Policy’ (SC-CC-38).
RCG Enhancement – Removal of Goods
Sars on 25 January announced that the electronic road manifests, including part-shipment movements across land border-posts, had been moved to ‘Reporting of Conveyance and Goods – External Policy’ SC-CC-38. The document has been updated with the requirement of Forms SAD502/SAD 505 and DA187 and indicates the documents per movement type which must be completed together with the Customs Clearance Document to comply with legislation. More details are available in ‘Removal of Goods – External Policy’ (SC-TR-01-05).
Update on RCG GoingLive
In a letter to ‘All Stakeholders’ dated 24 January, Sars’ acting executive for the
Customs & Excise Centre of Excellence provided an ‘Update on Go-Live of Reporting of Conveyances and Goods (RCG): Phase 2A and Production Release of Declaration Processing System (DPS)’.
Rebate for Chicken Imports
On 01 February the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) published “Guidelines Pertaining to a Temporary Rebate Provision, which Provides for Rebate of the full Anti-dumping Duty on Bone-in Cuts of the Species Gallus Domesticus, Frozen, Classifiable in Tariff Subheading 0207.14.9 and imported from or Originating in the United States of America in terms of the Act".
