Excise Duty Rules – Comment dueOn 03 March the South African Revenue Service (Sars) called for comment, by 17 March, on draft amendments to Rules 19A, 32, and 36 and 120 of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964 relating to excise duty.Section 19A of the Act makes special provision in respect of customs and excise warehouses in which excisable or fuel levy goods are manufactured or stored. The amendment to rules 19A.01 and 19A3.04 relates to the deletion and insertion of updated item numbers as per the Harmonized System (HS) tariff.Section 32 of the Act provides for ascertaining the strength of spirits. The rules are being amended to provide the instrument, device or equipment to be used for the determination of alcoholic strength by volume of any spirits. Section 36 of the Act provides for special provisions regarding beer. The insertion of rule 36.01(e) states that the provisions of rule 32.01 apply mutatis mutandis for the determination of alcoholic strength by volume for beer.International Institution ImportsSars on 02 March invited comment, by 30 March, on the insertion of Rebate Item 406.04/00.00/01.00 in Part 1 of Schedule No 4 to the Act, and the substitution of Rebate 406.00 inParagraph 8 of Schedule No 1 to the Value-added Tax (VAT) Act, 1991.The rebate item is inserted to provide for agreements that South Africa may enter into. This rebate item will allow institutions or organisations to import goods that will be used for official business by those organisations or institutions in line with the terms of that agreement, under rebate of the duty.VAT on Destroyed or Damaged GoodsOn 28 February Sars announced an amendment to item no 412.09/00.00/01.00 in paragraph 8 of Schedule1 to the VAT Act as a consequence of the amendment to Rebate Item 412.09/00.00/01.00 in Part 1 of Schedule No. 4 to the VAT Act.In accordance with the amendment, Item no 412.09/00.00/01.00 does not apply to goods lost, destroyed or damaged as a result of a hostile act by a third party constituted by robbery or theft.Ukraine’s Polymeric Materials SafeguardThe Ukraine on 28 February notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Safeguards that, on 25 February, it had initiated a safeguard investigation on polymeric materials (polyethylene having a specific gravity of 0,94 or more and poly(vinyl chloride) not mixed with any other substances), classifiable in tariff subheadings 3901.20 and 3904.10.Duty Calls’ WatchlistComment on:The application for Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) quota import and export permits is due from 01 April.The proposed Diesel Refund Scheme Rule Amendments is due by 16 March.The proposed reduction in the rate of customs duty on tinplate by 13 March.The proposed reduction in the rate of customs duty on air conditioning machines; and the increase in the rate of customs duty on high chrome grinding media balls by 27 March.
