Industry has welcomed a decision by the South African Revenue Service (Sars) to publish tariff determinations. Most customs experts say this will go a long way in preventing inconsistencies and duplications in the system, reducing some of the costs involved. “It will, however, not be immediate,” said a source, indicating it could take at least another 18 months. This comes after several requests for the tariffs to be published. “Sars has indicated it will be included in next year’s budget after which they will be published.” According to the source similar goods are often wrongly classified in different offices at different times which is not only frustrating to customs agents but also results in added cost. “Often you do not realise you are making a mistake because you simply don’t know what to do because you may be doing what you did for a similar commodity at a different customs office, but then get penalised. This is a very good step forward,” said the source. “By publishing the tariffs there will be a very clear understanding for everyone involved what the classifications for goods are across the board with the exact tariffs.”
