The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has finalised all the preparatory work for introduction of the SA/EU Free Trade Agreement and the administration of the Rules of Origin scheduled to come into effect on the 1st of January 2000. 21 SARS Branch Offices will administer Rules of Origin and have been staffed with trained personnel.
As part of the preparatory work, SARS published in a Government Gazette the amendments to the Customs and Excise Act, the regulatory framework, and the revised schedules to implement the Year 2000 phase-down in the rates of duty in terms of the free trade agreement with the European Union. The Gazette was published today.
Hours of operation during the festive season:
All SARS Customs offices handling international cargo movements will not process commercial traffic from the 31st of December 1999 to the 4th of January 2000. These offices are Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Richards Bay, Saldanah Bay, Mossel Bay, Johannesburg, Germiston, Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg, Upington, Johannesburg International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, Durban International Airport, Beit Bridge and Lebombo. Lebombo Border Post will resume processing commercial traffic on the 2nd of January 2000.
ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
PRETORIA