The objective of a unified customs regime free of disparate organisations and interests seems to be closer to hand following news that President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the long-awaited Border Management Authority (BMA) Bill of 2020 into law.
“The BMA Act came into effect yesterday and addresses a need identified by government and diverse stakeholders in the economy for an integrated and well-coordinated border management service that will ensure secure travel and legitimate trade in accordance with the Constitution and international and domestic law,” according to customs specialist Mike Poverello.
As such it is hoped that the Act will replace the current challenge of different agencies and organisations of government all playing different roles in managing aspects of border control, he says.
Poverello adds that the Act also provides for terms of office, conditions of service, functions, powers, the establishment of an inter-ministerial consultative committee, a border technical committee and advisory committees, and enables review or appeal of the decisions of officers, as well as the “definition of certain things, offences and the levying of penalties”.