EDI pioneer helps speed up clearances

System available to exporters, agents and transporters on a user charge basis
KEVIN MAYHEW
FOLLOWING THE successful introduction on the South Africa – Botswana route of an electronic data interchange system (EDI), GMR Freights of Gaborone is implementing it on its Swaziland route as phase two of the rollout. According to managing director Rob Carle, its introduction in Botswana was undertaken after a four year co-development programme with the South African Revenue Service (SARS). "The introduction into both Botswana and Swaziland is a testimony of the extent to which electronic documentation solutions can now be introduced in Africa, which is an extremely positive indicator for transport on the continent,” he explained. GMR Freights was established in 1976 and pioneered the concept of consolidating container loads of mixed goods from the Reef for transportation to Botswana where they were distributed to a number of destinations in that vast and generally sparsely populated country. In 1985 it launched its service – which also includes full container loads – to Swaziland. GMR’s EDI/CCA/SAD system does not require expensive infrastructure installation - just a personal computer. It is the first company in southern Africa to test and submit real time, live CCA1s to SARS and has submitted over 140 000 tests since 2001. It has also successfully completed over 25 000 real time live clearances since October 2004, according to Carle. GMR was also the first company to test and submit real time BW500s and SAD500s to Botswana customs via its ASYCUDA System. With the imminent mandatory use of SARS’ Zeerust Customs Clearing Centre, clearances will no longer be effected at Kopfontein, Ramatlabama or Skilspadshek for exports to Botswana or via the Trans-Kalahari Corridor. Trucks will first have to report to Zeerust before proceeding to the border. With the use of EDI exports are virtually precleared and trucks proceed directly to a special lane at the border, bypassing Zeerust completely. GMR is therefore offering the use of its system to exporters, agents and transporters to SACU countries on a user charge basis. Carle believes the benefits of the EDI/CCA/SAD system are a saving of over 75% in standing time at borders with clearances reduced from anything up to 24 hours to between 30 and 40 minutes. This translates into faster delivery times in the areas serviced by the system, he added.