Customs Act amendment brings relief for importers and exports

Importers and exporters are breathing a sigh of relief due to a long-awaited Customs Act amendment, which could remove delays caused by an administrative bottleneck. 

Appeal decisions on tariff determinations for goods and services may now be made by committees at SARS branch office level, rather than at head office in Pretoria where there is a major administrative backlog. 

The head office appeal bottleneck is a longstanding problem and headache for industry stakeholders who have been pushing for regulatory change. The change is now official, as per a notice from SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter published in the Government Gazette. “We received the new on Monday,” Port Liaison Forum member Clifford Evans said last week. “In summary, it means the Rules to the Customs Act have been amended by the Commissioner, allowing for Tariff, Value and Origin appeal committees to be established at branches. 

“This is actually a great victory, as we have been fighting for this for many years. In effect, this should reduce the number of Tariff Determinations being sent to the Tariff Section in Pretoria, and which should then assist in reducing the backlog,” Evans said.

Derryn Brigg
Deputy President of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry