Technical glitch delays MAS launch

Although October 1 was originally
deadlined for the electronic
switch-on of customs’ new
manifest acquittal system (MAS),
some technical delays have
interrupted that big moment.
According to Dave Watts,
Durban based executive of
the SA Association of Freight
Forwarders-KZN (Saaff-KZN), all
that happened on D-day was that
the appropriate legislation was
gazetted. But SA Revenue Service
(Sars) customs – while they now
have the right to order the switchon
– have not yet enforced it.
Until they do there is no
mandatory rule for everyone to
submit all customs documentation
electronically.
“I don’t think customs is
likely to order the go-ahead
until everything and everyone is
ready,” said Watts – although he
suggested that the switch-on order
was imminent.
Although some of the clearing
and forwarding industry still
runs the old manual system,
“everybody is working on setting
up the appropriate systems,”
he added.
It’s not an issue of discontent in
the trade – anything but.
According to Watts, Saaff sat
in with the authorities at a series
of meetings and monitored the
creation of the new system.
And it’s not only a good idea
– adding the time-efficiency of
other electronic link-ups between
customs and the freight industry –
but an absolute necessity,
he added.
“With the millions of shipments
coming into the country each
year,” he said, “you just can’t clear
and acquit them all manually.”
Sars customs agreed. The
current cargo manifest control
process is an ineffective, slow,
hand-driven process, they told
FTW, and important operational
information – for example,
risk profiling data, and time of
clearance – is not available
when required.
There are a number of
problems with the traditional
manual process, according to
a Sars spokesman. It is timeconsuming
and non-integrated,
and human resources are
needlessly wasted on mundane
and redundant functions. It also
does not match the requirements
of modern trade.
There is a lack of proper
cohesion between manifest control
and clearance processes, and
too many parties are involved in
decision-making, which minimises
control over the complete process.