Moyane spells out timetable for implementation of new acts

With amendments to the
rules and regulations
guiding the new customs
acts currently under
way there appears to
be growing acceptance
of the new legislation,
which has been the source
of significant industry
concern.
“Both SA Revenue
Service and industry as
a whole now understand
the complexity and
amount of work required
to implement this
legislation and similarly we
understand the need for us
to work in partnership in
order to realise this,” Sars
commissioner Tom Moyane
told FTW.
Commenting on
the timeline for the
implementation of the new
legislation, Moyane said
with the rules process only
reaching its conclusion at
this stage, it was premature
to commit to any definitive
timelines.
“We have been analysing
the impact of the new
legislation on current
technology and business
process and are still in
the process of defining
requirements for new
automated services and
business processes,” he
explained. “Albeit that
these processes create their
own particular challenges,
we have progressed well
with some development
work and we are aiming
to deliver the first New
Customs Act Programme
(NCAP) deliverables in the
first half of 2017. This will
be the first phase of the
new registration, licensing
and accreditation system.”
The recent
implementation of the
Manifest Processing
System was an important
“precursor” phase for
NCAP, he said, in that it
lays the systems foundation
for the new cargo reporting
and goods control
provisions of the new
act. The implementation
of an enhanced system
accommodating most of
these new provisions is also
provisionally planned for
end of 2017.
Moyane said full
implementation of the
legislation in 2017 was
highly unlikely.
“Our current planning
is that two major
implementations will take
place in 2017.
However,
the phase
containing
the
majority of
development
required
to achieve
the greater
coverage of
the new acts
relates to
declaration
processing.
There are
no dates
currently set for this phase,
but we aim to deliver it
sometime in 2018.”
But, he said, industry
would be given notice
well in advance of
implementation to prepare.
And while compliance
with the legislation will be
mandatory immediately
upon implementation,
Moyane gave assurance
that Sars would be lenient
in enforcing the legislation
to its full extent during
the initial
transitional
phase.
“This
leniency will
obviously
not extend
to deliberate
noncompliance
with
legislation,”
he said.
In the
case of
registration,
licensing and
accreditation (RLA), which
will occur in the first
phase of implementation,
all current clients will
only be required to
submit applications for
re-registration within 30
days after the effective date
of the Customs Control
Act (CCA). The existing
customs registration
continues in terms of
section 928(1) whilst
the customs authority
processes the applications
received.
“Our re-registration
system will be opened
up to clients long before
the effective date and we
will ensure that timely
notification is sent out and
sufficient time is given
for re-registration. In
other words applications
may be submitted before
the effective date of the
acts as well as within 30
days after the effective
date - and clients will not
be disadvantaged while
the customs authority
is processing such
applications.”
INSERT & CAPTION
Sars will be lenient
in enforcing the
legislation to its full
extent during the
initial transitional
phase.
– Tom Moyane