Customs accreditation process moves forward

THE ROLL-OUT of the authorised
economic operator concept is making
headway in South Africa.
It’s still an area of debate within SA
Revenue Service which is engaging in
open discussions with stakeholders on
the issues involved.
“The process is moving forward,”
Charles Speed-Andrews of Safcor
Panalpina, who handles customs
matters for the SA Association of
Freight Forwarders (Saaff), told FTW.
“It’s not an event but a process that
will take two to three years to be fully
rolled out.”
FTW was awaiting comment on
latest developments from Customs,
which was involved in financial yearend
deadlines, when this issue went to
press.
In the meantime, the concept has
made significant progress in Europe
where the first AEOs have been
accredited.
It’s one of a series of measures
being coordinated by the World
Customs Organisation as part of a
multi-layered approach to facilitating
trade and making supply chains more
secure and controlled.
In adopting the AEO regime, the
EU is aligning with similar measures
introduced by other countries,
including the USA. The scheme
provides legitimate businesses with a
quality mark, which will demonstrate
that their internal controls and
procedures are efficient and compliant.
According to a statement from
Davies Turner Air Cargo, which has
become one of the first companies
to be accredited, as the European
Commission has developed AEO
status, a key feature is that after each
member state’s Customs body has
approved AEO status, then each of the
other 26 Customs bodies in the EU has
a veto on the issuance of this status.
Potentially, some 140 000
companies involved in international
trade are eligible to apply within the
UK alone.