‘Extortion rather than
bribery’
With reference to the
article titled “How corrupt
is SA’s freight trade?”
(FTW February 5, 2016),
JCCI members inform
us “extortion” is a more
appropriate term than
“bribery”.
When containers
are stopped in transit,
often arbitrarily, serious
consequences arise for
time-sensitive deliveries
resulting in cancelled
orders with frequently
serious financial
implications.
JCCI has been
pressing for coordinated
intelligence, initially
between the Customs and
border police, and now to
include the NRCS, with
a view to reducing very
expensive examinations.
In addition, border post
delays, sometimes related
to non-tariff barriers,
again involve substantial
costs and “facilitation”
fees, all ultimately to be
paid by the consumer.
– Joan Warburton-McBride,
JCCI CEO.
