Road transport industry
has a role to play
CLOSER CO-OPERATION between the road freight transport industry, customs and South African Revenue Services (SARS) officials could improve delays at borders by 30%
At a recent meeting of the Cross Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA) and the SARS, it was found that the infrastructure at the border posts, especially those at Beitbridge and Lebombo, could not respond to the high volumes of traffic.
Long-term planning solutions, which would require extensive capital investment, involved one-stop border posts and infrastructure upgrading.
However, in the interim, the CBRTA has appealed to industry members to take the following advice to expedite movement across borders:
- All dutiable goods should be sealed in containers under the supervision of customs officials at their point of origin in the Republic, after which the SARS officer will place a customs seal on the containers. In case of this not being possible, the operator should at least ensure that the goods which require customs inspection are packed in such a manner that they are readily available for customs inspection;
- Mixed consignments of goods that need to be inspected by SARS officials at border posts should be packed in a manner to allow the officials easy access. This will avoid the unpacking and repacking of the whole load (unless there is a suspicion of fraud);
- Documents should be properly completed. SARS officials, on a regular basis, find incorrectly-completed documentation which causes unnecessary delays because, in many instances, they have to be referred back to their source of origin;
- The use of credible, well-trained clearing agents would benefit the industry since they have the knowledge, as well as the financial backing to raise the required bond;
- Drivers must exercise discipline. They often park their vehicles and disappear for long periods delaying the clearing process.
By Anna Cox
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