The role of the
consultant is becoming
increasingly critical
in an industry where
skills are in short supply and
economic realities demand
close attention to the bottom
line – and that includes
permanent head count.
Established three years
ago, D Liebenberg
Consulting provides
importers and
forwarding
agents with an
outsourced
option for all
their brokerage
and compliance
issues.
“People
with my
skills
set
are diminishing – and that’s
largely because the majority
of processes are automated,”
says David Liebenberg, who
has 24 years of customs
experience and was senior
manager in the customs
compliance department
of UTi before opening
his consultancy
business. “In my day I
had to write out a bill
of entry and know how
to do the calculation.
Now staff input
the information
into a software
programme
and get the
answer so
they don’t
learn the
basic skills.”
A fulltime
customs
expert
generally
comes at
a big cost, says Liebenberg,
which is why a number of
companies tend to go for
the outsourced option.
Employing someone to run
the operations
while
outsourcing
appeals,
classifications,
audits and
the like to
a customs
specialist on a
retainer basis
is the route
that most
companies
tend to take,
he adds.
Customs
modernisation has
automated a large part of the
process, but when it comes
to classification and other
aspects of customs that
require “interpretation” this
is never going to change –
regardless of any advances in
technology. “You will always
need someone with the skill
sets because being good at
classification comes with
time. You can learn general
rules and
how to apply
them but
the only way
you become
proficient is by
practice and
by reading
up on rulings
that have
been made.
Modernisation
will make life
easier from an
operational
point of view,
but things like classification
will demand a lot more than
that.”
And while customs has
made significant strides
in its modernisation
process – part of which
is the first 28 preferred
traders announced last
month – Liebenberg points
to a sense of frustration in
the industry over delays in
implementation of the New
Customs Act Programme
(NCAP).
“Even though there have
been draft documents for
comment and feedback
sessions our clients are
looking for the date of
implementation and the date
keeps moving.
“Industry just wants
legitimate trade to flow – and
for trade to flow we need a lot
more collaboration between
customs and trade to ensure
that when the NCAP is
rolled out, it is as seamless as
possible”.
Liebenberg’s range of
services is varied. Apart from
the customs compliance
service offered to importers
and logistics companies, he is
also involved in the training
environment.
For trade to flow
we need a lot
more collaboration
between customs and
trade.
– David Liebenberg
