In just over a month Sars’ Customs Preferred Trader Programme will celebrate its first anniversary. Launched on 8 May 2017, it was said to mark the culmination of an extensive process aimed at introducing one of the most significant trade facilitation initiatives in Sars’ customs modernisation journey.
At the time of its launch 28 Customs clients had been awarded Customs Preferred Trader accreditation status following a lengthy period of audits and customs competency assessments. It would be interesting to know how many Customs clients have attained accreditation status. Particularly since at the time over 250 Customs clients were going through the Customs Preferred Trader accreditation process. At the time Sars said that a dedicated team and process had been established and that Sars envisaged that all ‘outstanding applications’ would ‘be processed speedily in the coming months’.
As a reminder, as indicated at its launch, in broad terms the Customs Preferred Trader Programme is a relationship between a Customs client and Sars Customs in order to: (i) Achieve benefits for both parties; (ii) Stamp out misconduct and fraudulent activities; (iii) Obtain and maintain a high level of compliance; and (iv) Promote legitimate trade facilitation.
The launch indicated some of the benefits to trade included: (i) The appointment of a Customs Relationship Manager tasked with facilitating the relationship between the client and Customs; (ii) Reduction of the amount of security required for compliance with a Customs procedure; (iii) Fewer routine documentary and physical inspections; (iv) Prioritising a request for tariff and valuation determinations; and (iv) Prioritising access to non-intrusive inspection techniques when goods are stopped or detained for inspection.