Dear Customers
The status of congestion and delays at our local ports is well published in the news and we too have forwarded multiple newsflash updates on this topic, we are therefore reluctant to send yet another update. The attached articles however provide valuable insight into the extent of vessel delays and the effect of this on our economy and so we bring these to your attention for further reading and clarity.
We also attach an update from SARS concerning advance import payments and advance payment notifications. This notification explains the process and application for all importers making advanced payments. We refer to our involvement below:
- When SCT handles your customs clearance, we now need to insert this APN into the Bill of entry to allow the reconciliation of payments with proof of entry into South Africa. Please note that we have no way of knowing whether an APN number (hence pre-paid) was required and therefore it is the responsibility of the importer to advise SCT of the same with their clearing instruction.
- As the APN number is complex, and accuracy of capture when framing the Bill of entry critical, we ask that an electronic version of the APN confirmation from e-filing is sent with your clearing instruction to SCT so we can copy and paste the number ensuring 100% accuracy.
Further reference:
https://www.enca.com/videos/sa-ports-congestion-congestion-durban-courts-could-affect-economy
https://www.enca.com/business/durban-harbour-waves-containers-choke-port
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local SCT representative with any queries.