Industry prepares for switch to new Customs platform

SA Revenue Service’s modernisation programme will focus on the implementation of the new Interfront Declaration Processing (IDP) engine in the year ahead, according to Michael Poverello, customs business specialist at Sars. Writing in his personal blog, he says from the outset of the customs modernisation programme in July 2010, the approach has followed a path of pragmatic migration of customs’ electronic clearance processing. This across its 30-odd legacy systems towards an integrated clearance process that could mimic the functionality featured on the new Interfront (formerly Tatis) integrated customs border management solution (iCBMs) – a wholly owned development of SA. “The modern technology and scalability of Interfront offers the ability and agility to enhance service levels and efficiencies to another level,” Poverello added. “At the same time, operational policies and procedures have been modernised with the aim and intent of meeting the requirements contained in customs’ new control and duty bills.” Poverello suggested that much of the change experienced by both customs officers and the trade over the past two years had prepared the country for the eventual migration to the new system. “These have been significant and at times painful changes, not without anxiety and apprehension,” he said. “Over the last six months an even more painstaking and taxing effort has been expended by the customs modernisation team, Interfront and other service providers in addressing a seamless harmonisation and switchover of customs business from disparate legacy systems to a new customs technology platform.” This “Parallel Run”, he noted, had witnessed the daily comparison of customs clearance data between the old and new systems, identification and logging of disparities (bugs), and modification of the two environments to ensure the same result is achieved. “This has not been an easy and simple process, as any country having undergone a system switchover can attest to.” And this month marks the moment for service providers to the customs industry to start readying their resources to commence user testing.