New Swazi Customs to clamp down on smuggling

Transporters of goods into and out of Swaziland will now deal with a new department that combines the government’s previous Customs and Excise Department with the Income Tax Department. Last week King Mswati formally dedicated the Swaziland Revenue Authority (SRA) and said that he resisted emissaries from bureaucrats who felt their jobs at the previously ineffective departments would be threatened. He said the new authority was required to streamline revenue collections, particularly at a time when empty treasury coffers have resulted in a broke government and the curtailment of some services. SA transporters will find no difference in border operations besides new nametags and perhaps uniforms for customs agents. However, importers accustomed to underdeclaring the value of goods, outright smuggling or bribing customs officials are supposed to face closer scrutiny. On Thursday, FTW learned that the National Association of Public Servants and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), irked that some of its members had been made redundant when the tax and customs departments merged, was seeking a court order declaring SRA illegal. The union is arguing the hiring procedures announced when the revenue authority was incorporated were flouted.