Preferred trader programme on track

SA Revenue Service will shortly go live with the next phase of its Preferred Trader programme, offering compliant traders ‘green lane’ benefits based on their strict adherence to compliance criteria. It’s all part and parcel of the incremental change plan for modernisation that Customs launched at the end of last year. “We created an accreditation programme and over the past 18 months we have been working towards a compliance standard with approximately 150 importers and exporters,” Sars executive manager Beyers Theron told delegates at last week’s SA Association of Freight Forwarders congress in Ekurhuleni. “We call it the preferred trader pilot and we are now closer to a position where we can implement the programme, providing the benefits of compliance to trade,” he said. “We are putting a control structure in place and that will in time roll over into the Authorised Economic Operator scheme which will make South African traders AEO-recognised in the rest of the world. We’ve laid the foundation and we will now move into the next phase.” News of the development came on the eve of the next big step in the Customs Modernisation Programme – which took place on June 10 – and introduced a range of new features. These include a redesign of the inspection process that will see documentary inspections undertaken by any officer within a virtual compliance centre, minimising the possibility of collusion. Electronic supporting documents are another major benefit while nine new Customs Procedure Code combinations have also been added. In a separate development, a working group on simplified declarations is also making significant progress, said Theron. “We started with the courier industry – and that’s also at a very advanced stage and close to implementation.” Streamlining border post efficiency is an ongoing priority, and a model design for border posts is in the development phase. “We’re trying to work with Home Affairs and the SA Police Service to integrate our processes and so avoid duplication.” Sars is determined to stay at the cutting edge of technology. “We want to be part of the international community and we want to create a level of credibility for South African trade internationally,” said Theron.