SAFLA Joins SARS Stakeholder Forums To Strengthen Customs Engagement

"As a recognised industry body, SAFLA will now participate in a structured, multi-tiered engagement framework established by SARS to foster meaningful collaboration between the revenue authority and key industry stakeholders," explains SAFLA executive officer Dave Logan.

The forums operate across four levels: the National Stakeholder Forum, the National Operations Stakeholder Forum, Regional Stakeholder Engagements, and Key Industry Engagements. They are designed to address issues ranging from national regulatory and strategic matters to operational challenges experienced at regional and branch level.

Industry representation on customs matters

"Membership of the Sars Customs Stakeholder Forums places SAFLA where it matters most," continues Logan. "The forums serve as the primary platform through which industry associations may engage Sars on issues affecting customs and excise processes, including registration, reporting, clearance, payment, inspections, offences, penalties, and dispute resolution."

The stakeholder forums aim to strengthen collaboration between Sars and industry to improve customs administration, facilitate trade and support South Africa's position as a global trading partner.

SAFLA said issues that cannot be resolved directly between individual businesses and SARS will now have a formal escalation pathway through the association, allowing industry-wide concerns to be raised through the forum structure.

"Securing representation at the Sars Customs Stakeholder Forums is a defining moment for SAFLA and, more importantly, for every business operating within South Africa's freight and logistics sector," says Logan.

"Our members face real and pressing challenges at the border of customs compliance and trade facilitation every single day. Having a formal seat at these forums means we can engage Sars constructively, raise systemic issues on behalf of our members, and contribute meaningfully to the development of a more efficient and transparent customs environment. This is exactly the kind of institutional access that SAFLA was built to provide."

Supporting trade facilitation

SAFLA's participation aligns with the broader objectives of the stakeholder engagement framework, which focuses on maintaining professional standards, aligning trade practices, and removing trade barriers.

The association will participate across all relevant forum levels to ensure both strategic and operational matters affecting the freight and logistics industry receive appropriate attention.

Industry stakeholders, members and interested parties are encouraged to submit customs-related concerns or queries to SAFLA, which will collate and raise them through the appropriate forum channels.