SA Revenue Service Customs has revealed ambitious plans to speed up implementation of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and bring it forward by three years from 2022 to 2019, with the aim of concluding the AEO policy framework.
“On the preferred trade programme (PT) we have in the past year moved faster in terms of giving people accreditation,” acting chief officer Customs & Excise, Beyers Theron, told delegates at a business breakfast in Johannesburg last week.
“When we started the PT journey, we considered this internally as more of a risk tool, but the ultimate benefit is migration to a fully fledged AEO. This allows you to transpose the benefits you give the client to the other side of the border where you can go into a mutual recognition agreement with key trade partners like the EU or China, for example.
That's how we can get ultimate benefit in terms of expedited movement of goods and limited intervention across two borders.
“We want to drive it so that it comes in next year. The policy framework needs to be put in place and then we need to start embedding AEO in the policy framework and start on-boarding clients.”
