Preferred trader launch scheduled

The pilot test run for the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) preferred trader (PT) scheme is now under way, with the launch planned for the first half of 2014. Sacu – consisting of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, SA and Swaziland – is collaborating with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in this initiative. From the end of September, national project managers, audit experts, PT experts, site managers and WCO experts worked together to develop regional processes to be applied and designed for the Sacu regional PT. The selected pilot operators were engaged, and the relevant crossborder regulatory agencies and customs officials at the selected border posts are soon to be alerted to the regional PT scheme. According to the WCO, this project fits very well with the risk management component – as the latter is the foundation of the preferred trader approach. The idea is that compliant, low risk economic operators will be recognised by the customs authorities as preferred traders. As a result, customs will trust the operator and perform fewer or no inspections on goods imported or exported by or via the PT. This benefits the mover of the goods as the goods are available more quickly, which means lower transport costs. The customs benefit is that scarce inspection capacity can be targeted better at cargo of unknown and potentially unsafe operators.