Customs Bills submitted to Parliament On 30 October 2009 the South African Revenue Service (Sars) released the Draft Customs Control Bill and the Draft Customs Duty Bill for public comment that was due by 26 February 2010. The drafting commenced in January 2005 after the conclusion of a research and policy development phase. On 18 April 2011 Sars invited comment on the Draft Customs Control Bill – due by 16 May 2011. On 20 May 2011 Sars invited comment on the Draft Customs Duty Bill constituting a “Short Second Round for Comment” on which comment was due by June 06, 2011. On 08 August 2013 Sars announced in a media release that the Customs Bills, after having undergone an extensive consultation process, had now been submitted to Parliament. In addition to this notice the media release deals extensively with the issue of clearance at the first port of entry and the effect on inland terminals. According to the notice, one of the major aims of the Customs Bills is to create a balance between customs control and trade facilitation. (The full Media Release appears in this week’s Customs Buzz.) Draft Rule Amendments - Comment due On 02 August 2013 Sars published draft rules to the Customs and Excise Act (Act) pertaining to proposed changes to the Internal Administrative Appeal Rules under Chapter VA in Rules 77H (9-pages) and the substitution of Form DA51- International Administrative Appeal in Terms of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964 (2-pages). Comment is due by 23 August 2013. On 07 August 2013 Sars published the draft proposed changes to the changes in the statistical unit kg (kilogram) to litre (li) in Chapter 27 “Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes” in Part 1 of Schedule No.1 to the Act (Ordinary Customs Duty). The proposed changes do not affect all tariff subheadings only: 2707.10, 2707.20, 2707.30, 2707.40, 2707.50, 2707.91, 2707.99.10, 2707.99.20, 2707.99.90, 2710.12.01, 2710.12.02, 2710.12.07, 2710.12.09, 2710.12.15, 2710.12.26, 2710.12.30, 2710.12.35, 2710.12.37, 2710.12.39, 2710.12.40, 2710.12.49, 2710.12.52, 2710.12.55, 2710.12.57, 2710.12.60, 2710.12.70, 2710.12.80, and 2710.12.90. (Readers will recall that comment closed on 05 August 2013 in respect of the proposed substitution of paragraph (f) in Additional Note 1 to Chapter 27 in Part 1 of Schedule No.1 to the Act, relating to the requirements for illuminating kerosene.) Comment is due by 20 August 2013. One-Stop Border Post Agreements On 07 August 2013 Sars published a status overview of all its One-Stop Border Post Agreements with neighbouring countries that serve to (i) reduce border crossing time, (ii) share logistics costs, (iii) improve cooperation; and (iv) integrate risk and information management. According to the Summary of all Treaties for Customs One-Stop Border Post Agreements, on 18 September 2007 South Africa signed and ratified an Agreement with Mozambique (signed in Pretoria), whilst on 11 June 2013 an Annexure to the Agreement with Mozambique was signed (in Maputo). A treaty is also in the process of negotiation or finalisation but not yet signed with Zimbabwe.
