HOMECHOICE ORDERED TO PAY R31m

Homechoice Holdings Ltd said on Monday the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has demanded R31-million in customs duty and value added tax and fines from the retail group over an alleged breach of trade rules. Homechoice said in a note to its annual results that SARS had demanded a R10-million payment and that a further R21-million be forfeited for “an alleged breach of the rules of origin provisions of the South African-Malawi bilateral trade agreement”. The group said that it rejected the claim and was “firmly of the opinion that the matter will be successfully defended if brought before the courts”.