More one-stop border posts on the cards

The South African Revenue Service (Sars) is currently negotiating with its Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) partners to introduce more one-stopborder posts (OSBPs) in the region. Penny Bologo, Sars executive: customs operations, said that OSBPs – such as Lebombo- Ressano Garcia on the Mozambique/SA border – had proved successful in facilitating trade in the region. “We can’t say yet where we plan to introduce new OSBPs but we are negotiating with several of our Sacu partners,” she told FTW on the side lines of the Logistics Business Breakfast, hosted by the Southern African Shippers and Logistics Council (SASTALC) and the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) recently. Sars group executive: customs operations, Rae Cruickshank, was in Maputo last week to negotiate another OSBP, she said. “Zambia is also on the cards.” Barbara Mommen, CEO of the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI), commented during a panel discussion that the single electronic window (SEW) system implemented at the Lebombo-Ressano Garcia OSBP had resulted in numerous benefits, including enabling the pre-clearance of documentation, reducing (by more than half ) the number of documents required for customs clearance, and removing the “human interface” element which cut down on bribery and corruption at the border. “However, there are still aspects which delay cargo clearance and have added extra costs that need to be taken into account when designing an SEW system,” she said. According to Mommen, in 2011 – before the OSBP was created – it took an average of 19 minutes to clear a truck carrying the correct documentation. Now it takes an average of 20 to 27 minutes. “This is mainly because a second concession, namely K4, has since been added. Every truck crossing over the border has to go through the K4 scanner which takes about three minutes, provided there are no issues,” she explained. Furthermore, the additional concession also brought more costs which were putting added pressure on an already strained industry, said Mommen. “Then there are other challenges such as the fact that although around 600 to 800 trucks pass through the border on a daily basis, there is only parking available for 180 vehicles. When there is a glitch in the system, this is potentially disastrous,” she commented. Further delays are caused because drivers have to exit their trucks during the scanning process at K4. “Then there are food stores and ablution facilities that, while providing some much-needed comfort, do serve as distractions which could cause further delays,” said Mommen. INSERT & CAPTION Around 600 to 800 trucks pass through the border on a daily basis but there is only parking available for 180 vehicles. – Barbara Mommen