The new system is to be piloted at Durban’s King Shaka airport allows travellers to pre-declare goods on an online portal.
International travellers can now declare their goods online, before arriving at an airport, under a new system the South African Revenue Service (Sars) says will help swift and seamless movement in and out of the country.
The system, announced a month ago, allows travellers to pre-declare goods — whether purchased, received or “otherwise” acquired — on an online portal. This week, the tax agency hosted a webinar to show how it will operate.
“A few weeks ago, there was not that much clarity on this new product, therefore there were unneeded discussions on public platforms and social media, so we want to give travellers the tools they need to enable them to do what they need to do,” Sars head of stakeholder engagement Mark Kingon said.
The revenue service will launch a pilot project at Durban’s King Shaka International Airport on 29 November and it will be progressively implemented at all ports of entry by 2024.
Sars said it aimed to create “smart” borders by using data and technology for legitimate traders and travellers at its ports of entry while enhancing its detection capabilities to respond to any risks.
All travellers are required by law to declare certain goods and cash in their possession on entering or leaving South Africa and Sars said the pre-declaring process would bring the country in line with international standards while complying with domestic legislation.
Declarations have always been contentious for those travellers who just want to get to their destination, the director of customs border control, ports of entry and compliance management Beyers Theron said, adding: “It is a pain for us administrators, as this has always been in paper form, but it raises questions like whether it is retentive, risk-free or does it just fizzle up as paper that gets chucked into a box and forgotten about.”
Theron said Sars had collaborated with airlines and tourism agencies to have access to additional sources of passenger data in order to enhance risk profiling.
Travellers who choose not to use the online portal still will be able to fill in a form and there will also be self-service counters at airport terminals, head of air modality at customs Cassius Sinthumule said.
The failure to make a proper declaration, as required by law, is an offence that can result in detention, forfeiture of the undeclared goods and accompanying goods, and criminal prosecution.