Sars makes progress in under-valuation battle

A recent meeting between SA Revenue Service and the Textile Federation confirmed that the introduction of a reference pricing database for the textile industry was achieving its goals. The database is designed to address under-valuation of clothing and textile imports as a means of avoiding duty. “The message that came out and the reports tabled confirmed that there had been an improvement and we have verified that separately as well,” said Textile Federation executive director Brian Brink. “Progress is slow – and in some cases very slow – but it’s a move in the right direction.” A significant observation is that misdeclarations appear to be a lot less severe than in the past, said Brink. “Word seems to have got out that Sars is monitoring this sort of thing, and while you still find chancers trying to clear at a ridiculous rate – the numbers are declining.”