BUSINESSES HOPE TO BENEfiT from Time Release Study
The private sector hopes to benefit more and save costs from the ongoing Bilateral Time Release Study (TRS) between Eswatini Revenue Services (ERS) and South Africa Revenue Services (SARS).
Business Eswatini Chief Executive Officer (CEO) E. Nathi Dlamini said this was a very important study for them as trade between the two countries was the lifeblood of the country’s economy and the Ngwenya Border post was one of the most profitable borders in both countries.
Dlamini stated that the business sector was going to benefit more from this as they were the ones that were more informed and affected by the time spent on the border.
He said it was the business sector that felt more pain when a truck got delayed at the border posts.
“Every truck that comes in and out of this border is for the businesspeople and they know all the challenges and issues,” he said.
The CEO stated that this study was going to be helpful to them because previously trucks could go as far as sleeping overnight at the border posts with perishable goods which in turn meant that the businessperson had made a loss.
Dlamini stated that this study would also help them with the efficiencies of the border, as it would now mean that if a truck came into the border, it would quickly leave the border.
Collaboration
“We lose a lot of money when drivers get stuck and sleep at the border because they will get paid overtime, so this means that we will save so many costs as businesses because of this study,” he said.
He also said this study was very important and the collaboration between ERS and SARS was commendable.
ERS Trade Facilitation Manager Lungile Dlamini said this study would benefit the national governments and the private sector.
Dlamini stated that the benefits of the national government included improved efficiency of border procedures, allowing border agencies to explore synergies and work together, supporting the government’s policy and decisions (recommendations, improving the country’s attractiveness and competitiveness as an investment location, and performance measurement tool for TF initiatives implemented (periodically).
She also stated that for the private sector, the benefits included lower trade costs and timely delivery of goods, providing competitive and fair prices to consumers with no additional costs incurred, better decisions, inventory management, and just-in-time deliveries (transparency and predictability).
She explained that TRS was a unique tool developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) to measure the actual time taken for the release and or clearance of goods, from the time of arrival at the border until the physical release of cargo.
Purpose
She said the purpose of the trade facilitation measure included identifying bottlenecks in procedures related to the international movement of cargo (nature and the causes for those problems), recommending possible solutions to address the bottlenecks, and implementing recommendations for continuous improvement (time taken) and compliance to member states with the WTO TFA article 7.6 - establishment and publication of average release times.
She further stated that the TRS would involve the border agencies, OGAs, and the private sector. “The border agencies include Customs, Home Affairs, Police, Port Health and Agriculture while the private sector includes business associations, clearing agents, express couriers, freight forwarders, road haulers or transporters,” she said.
She added that the TRS was being conducted based on the WCO TRS Methodology with capacity building and technical assistance from the WCO through the WCO Mercator Programme supported by the WCO, UNCTAD, HMRC, and Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme.