SA Revenue Service Customs has taken decisive action to address the issue of repetitive stops.
Vonani Ntlhabyane, group executive: Customs branch, told delegates at a joint FTW/JCCI business breakfast last week that the revenue authority was aware of the frustrations facing traders and was addressing these as part of a turnaround strategy. A recently introduced system enhancement was already making a difference, she said.
“Until now, when you submitted a declaration, to avoid having the consignment repeatedly stopped you had to include a letter indicating the history of stoppages. In the past few weeks we have enhanced the system, instead of putting that burden on trade. When the documentary inspector looks at the declaration, the system will now provide him with information on previous case history, whether the trader has been repeatedly stopped, and for compliant clients their associated compliance record, so there will be no need for us to repeatedly stop your consignment.
“We do however still have big challenges with those who are not compliant and will continue to target them.” Sars has also made strides in engaging with stakeholders.
“We have established a National Operations Forum that sits on a monthly basis and looks at all the challenges they encounter. “When the process started in the third quarter of last year we were sitting with more than 3000 escalations. This figure was down to just over 300 at the end of August and that number will continue to go down.
“We want to introduce at least one new improvement on a weekly basis. “We have drawn a roadmap that looks at where we are and what journey will lead us to become a world class operation.” Part of the turnaround strategy relates to training.
“We are undertaking a review of training materials and we are not doing it alone as Sars but are involving industry because they play a key role in the process,” she said. “We want to standardise processes across the entire space so that KPIs for all officials in various grades are standardised.”
The system will now provide the inspector with information on previous case history so there will be no need for us to repeatedly stop your consignment. – Vonani Ntlhabyane
