The Freight Community’s Weekly Newspaper for Import / Export decision makers – on subscription FRIDAY 7 May 2010 NO. 1909 FREIGHT & TRADING WEEKLY FTW1725SD FTW1901SD BY Liesl Venter The application of penalties for companies found contravening the new Customs bills remains a major concern to the freight forwarding industry. According to Johan Marais, South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) Customs consultant, concerns about the proposed penalty code have been raised with Sars but as yet there’s been no feedback. “As the new Customs Control Bill, Customs Duty Bill and Excise Bill stand now, any company found to be in contravention more than three times will lose its licence and will not be allowed to operate,” Marais told delegates at the Saaff annual general meeting in Johannesburg last week. “We believe this to be draconian and unacceptable and have communicated this to Sars. At present though there has been no feedback.” Currently a company found contravening the Customs Act is given a choice of a fine, which is related to the seriousness of the matter, or criminal charges. Should a company pay the fine the matter is then automatically concluded. Under the new Concerns raised over ‘draconian’ penalties in new Customs bills No feedback yet from Sars Motlohi leaves CT for Durban BY Ray Smuts The favourable wind of change blowing through Cape Town Container Terminal is set to continue, despite last week’s shock disclosure that business unit executive, Moshe Motlohi, is calling it a day after only three months in the vitally important portfolio. “It is true I have requested an assignment in Durban and this has fortunately been granted, the reason personal, related to my son’s ill health.” Motlohi, who has four children, told FTW. “His condition requires constant monitoring and supervision by my wife and To page 12 To page 12 Johan Marais and Freek van Rooyen … ‘Process far from being finalised.’
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The Freight community’s Weekly newspaper for import / export decision makers – on subscriptionFRIDAY 7 May 2010 NO. 1909
FREIGHT & TRADING WEEKLY
FTW1725SD
FTW1901SD
By Liesl Venter
The application of penalties for companies found contravening the new Customs bills remains a major concern to the freight forwarding industry.
According to Johan Marais, South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) Customs consultant, concerns about the proposed penalty code have been raised with Sars but as yet there’s been no feedback.
“As the new Customs Control Bill, Customs Duty Bill and Excise Bill stand now, any company found to be in contravention more
than three times will lose its licence and will not be allowed to operate,” Marais told delegates at the Saaff annual general meeting in Johannesburg last week. “We believe this to be draconian and unacceptable and have communicated this to Sars. At present though there has been no feedback.”
Currently a company found contravening the Customs Act is given a choice of a fine, which is related to the seriousness of the matter, or criminal charges. Should a company pay the fine the matter is then automatically concluded. Under the new
concerns raised over ‘draconian’ penalties in new customs billsNo feedback yet from Sars
Motlohi leaves cT for DurbanBy Ray Smuts
The favourable wind of change blowing through Cape Town Container
Terminal is set to continue, despite last week’s shock disclosure that business unit executive, Moshe Motlohi, is calling it a day
after only three months in the vitally important portfolio.
“It is true I have requested an assignment
in Durban and this has fortunately been granted, the reason personal, related to my son’s ill health.” Motlohi, who has four
children, told FTW. “His condition requires
constant monitoring and supervision by my wife and
To page 12
To page 12 Johan Marais and Freek van Rooyen … ‘Process far from being finalised.’
FREIGHT & TRADING WEEKLY DUTY CALLS
Editor Joy OrlekConsulting Editor Alan PeatAssistant Editor Liesl VenterAdvertising Carmel Levinrad (Manager)
Yolande Langenhoven Gwen Spangenberg Jodi Haigh
Divisional head Anton MarshManaging Editor David Marsh
CorrespondentsDurban Terry Hutson
Tel: (031) 466 1683Cape Town Ray Smuts
Tel: (021) 434 1636 Carrie Curzon Tel: 072 674 9410Port Elizabeth Ed Richardson
Now Media Centre 32 Fricker Road, Illovo Boulevard,
Illovo, Johannesburg. PO Box 55251, Northlands,
2116, South Africa.
2 | FRIDAY May 7 2010
Note: This is a non- comprehensive statement of the law. No liability can be accepted for errors and omissions.
A weekLY summary of the main changes to the South African tariff dispensation and amendments to customs and excise legislation. email [email protected].
For further information, [email protected] or call Werner Pretorius at 011–882 7300
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wCO Capacity Building Director – Candidate
On 26 June 2010 the members of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) are set to elect a new director for capacity building. At the recommendation of the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, South Africa has proposed Erich Kieck, the group executive: customs strategy at Sars.
Floating Hotels Customs Rules – Comment
On 28 April 2010 the South African Revenue Service (Sars) published its proposed amendments to the Rules to the Customs and Excise Act in respect of floating hotels for the duration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Rules specifically refer to “sealable goods”.
The proposed amendments relate to: (i) Section 09 – “Sealing of goods on board ships or aircraft”. (Chapter III – Importation, Exportation
and Transit and Coastwise Carriage of Goods); and (ii) Section 24 – “Ships’ or Aircraft Stores Consumed in the Republic.” (Chapter IV – Customs and Excise Warehouses; Storage and Manufacture of Goods in Customs and Excise Warehouses).
The closing date for applications is 06 May 2010.
Airfreight Operations – Durban Relocation
In a letter dated 29 April 2010 Sars advised that from 01 May 2010 all Customs airfreight operations would be relocated from the Durban International Airport to the new King Shaka International Airport. On 30 May 2010 all Customs operations at the Durban International Airport will cease.
wheat Tariff Amendment – 30 April 2010
On 30 April 2010 Sars advised that the General, the European Union (EU),
and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) rates of customs duties on wheat and wheaten flour, classifiable under tariff subheadings 1001.90 and 1101.00, would be increased from free of customs duty to 14.07c/kg and 21.10c/kg respectively.
It is important to note that the rates of customs duties in respect of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) remain free i.e. 0%.
The tariff amendment is as a result of the application of the variable formula tariff, which accounts for variations in the international prices of wheat and wheaten flour.
TCIDP Tariff Amendment – 30 April 2010
The effect of this amendment is that (i) Rebate item 460.11/00.00/06.00 has been deleted; (ii) the Rebate Item 460.11/00.00/07.00 i.e. the rebate provision for the Textile and Clothing Industry Development Program (TCIDP) has been extended for imports for home consumption between 01 November 2009 to 30
September 2011; and (iii) a new rebate provision (Rebate Item 460.11/00.00/08.00) for the TCIDP has been created to extend the TCIDP for imports for home consumption, between 01 November 2009 to 30 September 2012 on a limited range of input materials.
Bills Of entry Acquittal – external Policy
Sars has released its “External Policy – Acquittal of Bills of Entry” dated 31 March 2010. The purpose of the document is to assist Sars stakeholders in the acquittal of Removal in Bond (RIB) and Removal in Transit (RIT) Bills of Entry (BOE) in terms of Section 18 of the Act and the Rules thereto.
FRIDAY May 7 2010 | 3
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Dti launches new incentive for embattled clothing industryBy Alan Peat
There was new financial encouragement for SA’s embattled clothing and textile industry launched on May 1 – a welcome tool in the armoury for the war against China’s much-subsidised competition.
This followed the department of trade and industry issuing a headline summary of the new
initiative – to be managed by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) – to all the players in the industry.
Although still short of the full detail of the scheme, the guidelines were welcomed by the industry, according to Brian Brink, executive director of the Textile Federation.
The timing was also welcomed, with the industry just having lost its duty
credit scheme at the end of March because such an export incentive had been put on the verboten list by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The incentive initiative works on a completely different formula. It will be calculated as 10% of the value added by a manufacturer’s production process to the raw material cost over the year. The 10%
will be held by the IDC, and the manufacturer can call on it as a contribution towards any future capital or operating costs.
“Although we’d like it to be more,” said Brink, “we are not looking a gift horse in the mouth.”
It only goes part of the way to making local industry competitive with China, where the clothing and textile industry
sectors have a significant competitive edge – with manufacturers living in an economic dream land, being boosted by government support, tariffs and tax incentives, cheap labour and raw material costs. The local manufacturers are also keenly awaiting the IDC response to issues raised by industry about how the plan is to be implemented.
By Liesl Venter
Rion Henning, an import supervisor for UTi in East London, has been named the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) Young Freight Forwarder of the Year.
“It has definitely developed and broadened my vision in terms of where I am going
in my career, but also about the industry I work in. I have been on a learning experience ever since I entered this competition,” he told FTW.
Henning, won the competition after writing a dissertation of between 2500 and 4000 words, about the establishment of a glass manufacturing plant in
South Africa. To represent South Africa
in the Africa/Middle East region for the international leg of the competition, Henning has just completed his second dissertation. Should he win he will be representing the continent at the Fiata Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award, which takes place in
Thailand later this year.“The second dissertation
was on project cargo and about bringing in consignments of cargo via air and sea for an ethanol powered plant in the country,” says Henning.
Young freight forwarder of the year named
Rion Henning … ‘It has developed and broadened my vision.’
4 | FRIDAY May 7 2010
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By Alan Peat
Despite Greek government assurances that a new action plan to save the economy will soon be in place, the impact of the country’s financial collapse is already rippling across the European Union (EU), and could spread down to SA.
Anxiety about excessive national debt has reportedly spread to Portugal, with observers adding Italy, Ireland and Spain to the list of nations teetering on the brink.
Greece’s financial problems were first mentioned at the end of 2009 – a combination of the international financial crash and local, uncontrolled spending prior to the October 2009 national elections.
Although the government tried to cover up the extent
of its massive problem, the economy was facing its most severe crisis since 1993 – with the highest budget deficit and the second highest debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio in the EU. Its 2009 budget deficit stood at 12.7% of GDP, and its debt level at 113% of GDP.
The number of reports of the severe economic crisis accelerated and the news became worse until April 23 this year, when the Greek government finally admitted financial defeat, and requested that the EU/IMF (International Monetary Fund) bail-out package be activated.
The size of this bail-out was reported to be for the equivalent of almost R451.5-billion and was expected to take three weeks to negotiate.
Then on April 27, the
Greek debt rating was decreased to “junk status” by Standard & Poor’s amidst fears of default by the Greek government.
Its ability to repay its debt – which now equalled 115% of its GDP – remained doubtful.
Standard & Poor’s estimated that, in the event of default, investors would lose 30%-50% of their money – and stock markets worldwide declined in response to this announcement.
The lack of spare cash in Greece is also expected to hit the country’s ability to pay for imports, and the ramification of this could reach the shores of SA, according to Liz Whitehouse, MD of trade consultants, Whitehouse & Associates.
Exports from SA to Greece totalled just over
SA exporters stand to lose as Greek crisis spiralsLatest annual export figures total R1.3-billion
R1.3-billion for 2008 – the latest trade stats available from the SA Revenue Service (Sars) customs –and equalling our export trade with Ireland and Denmark.
“What is concerning is that we export manufactured products to Greece,” said Whitehouse, “especially in the categories
of ‘vehicles, aircraft, vessels and transport equipment’ totalling R600-million; ‘high precision instruments’ worth R150-m; and ‘machinery, mechanical appliances, and electrical equipment’ of R106-m.
“A total of R856-m – or 65.8% of our total exports go to Greece, exports we cannot afford to lose.”
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FRIDAY May 7 2010 | 5
By Ed Richardson
Plans for a bulk liquid handling terminal in the port of Ngqura are back in the pipeline, with a call for proposals by Transnet for the “funding, construction
and operation of a liquid bulk handling and storage facility, including pipeline connections, loading arms and piperack structures to handle liquid bulk cargo across the liquid bulk berth”.
Ngqura’s liquid bulk berth was built to handle imports of liquids for the planned Ngqura aluminium smelter, which has since been cancelled due to the lack of power in South Africa.
Transnet is under pressure from the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality and business community to move the existing fuel tank storage facility in the Port Elizabeth harbour to Ngqura.
There are also plans to build a giant oil refinery at Ngqura.
The RFP closes on August 31, and it will cost R5 000 for interested parties to obtain copies from the National Ports Authority head office in Parktown, Johannesburg.
Transnet looking at bulk liquid terminal for Ngqura
Saaff spells out new vision and mission‘It was clearly time to change’
By Liesl Venter
With a brand new vision and mission in place it’s all systems go for the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) as they redefine themselves and embrace the future.
According to Saaff chairman Basil Pietersen, it had become clear in recent months that change was inevitable if the organisation wanted to survive. Earlier this year members sat down at a two-day workshop to establish where Saaff
was heading.Calling in the help of Dr
Ray Eberlein, a strategy consultant, the result of the workshop was the development of a new vision, mission and value system.
According to Eberlein it had become clear that the organisation had no vision and that if role-players wanted to move Saaff into a new era they would have to look critically at their external and internal environments, redefining their goals.
“The outcome of the
workshop was that the organisation looked at the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal arenas over the next three to five years and how the changes in these areas would be impacting on business in general but also on the organisation.”
Eberlein said after much deliberation it was clear that Saaff as a professional organisation should create and develop a profession and professional standards for the industry, recognise and register suitably qualified
professionals, provide and obtain international and national recognition of professional achievement, provide training, education and development opportunities, while also providing leadership and advice in terms of research and trade opportunities.
“Essentially the new vision for the organisation is to be an internationally recognised professional members’ organisation that facilitates international trade. Its values include integrity, professional functioning and leadership.”
Eberlein said the next step for Saaff was to draw up a new business plan and start implementing the changes necessary to take them into the future.
(OGEFREM) - Office de Gestion du Fret MultimodalDemocratic Republic of Congo
« Attestation de destination » (Destination Certificate)We take the opportunity to remind all concerned administrations, marine and forwarding business professionals in South Africa that the following process is compulsory for DRC destined cargo discharging to South African ports and rerouted by road, train, to DRC.
1/ Owners and their shipping agents in Ports of loading will make sure that the cargo which is destined to DRC is covered by a FERI. The FERI reference to be mentioned on the cargo manifest. (As per procedure already in force).
2/ Forwarding agents in South African ports will obtain from Ogefrem/Frabemar local Agent/MITCHELL COTTS MARITIME the Destination Certificate (AD) certifying the DRC final destination of the cargo. The document is compulsory in the “documentation set” of the cargo with Congolese Customs Authorities.
Starting from 1st of May 2010; the Destination Certificate has to be obtained from:
The cost of the attestation is now established by DRC authorities to 80 US $ (Eighty US $) to be paid to referenced agent at delivery of original Destination Certificate.
The full informatics documentation is made available at all Ogefrem internal Offices duly connected with Kinshasa “FERI CENTER”Further information is available on the WEB SITE
www.ogefrem.net
OGEFREM/FRABEMAR AGENT IN SOUTH AFRICAN PORTSMITCHELL COTTS MARITIME
11th floor, Grindrod house 108 Victoria EmbankmentPO Box 1021
Durban 4001 – South AfricaP.I.C. Ms Kathleen Basson
Basil Pietersen ... ‘New vision is to be an internationally recognised professional members’ organisation.’
6 | FRIDAY May 7 2010
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By Ray Smuts
As the world’s climatic excesses take their toll, one of the casualties is the apple industry.
Insiders foresee a decline of apples from southern hemisphere-producing countries, among them South Africa, to export destinations in the northern hemisphere.
“You will definitely see a shortage this year, not only locally but in exports,” says Charles Hughes, CEO of Tru-Cape, South Africa’s biggest apple and pear exporter.
Successive weeks of intense heat will reduce South Africa’s exports significantly this year while the apple industry in Chile, a major global producer, is yet to recover from a devastating earthquake. China lost 67 0000 ha of apple crops
due to massive frost (South Africa only has around 15 000ha under cultivation) – and New Zealand was hit by foul weather of one kind or another.
Anton Rabe, CEO of Hortgro Services, an umbrella body serving the SA Apple and Pear Producers’ Association among others, says the intense heat evidenced in most fruit-producing areas will result in an estimated 14% reduction in apple exports this year, to 22 949 916 cartons (12.5kg equivalents), while Tru-Cape itself expects to export 1.5 million fewer cartons.
Early and mid-season apple cultivars suffered most, such as the Gala group and Golden Delicious, down 21% and 20% respectively.
Of great concern to all
South African exporters is the relentlessly strong rand which shows no sign of letting up.
Last week, the International Monetary Fund, in revising upwards South Africa’s economic growth to 2.6% this year, warned of several factors that would “temper” growth – high unemployment, tight credit and rand strength.
“Tight credit,” says Hughes, “is a huge problem for us. As international traders we take out credit insurance but our rating has been cut drastically due to the global squeeze so we, indeed all countries, face a lot of risk.”
The rand was 24% stronger against the US dollar between industry Weeks 4 and 11 and Hughes foresees “a huge problem” for the industry
Climatic excesses bite into apple volumesExpect shortage locally and in exports
should these levels persists beyond 2010.
Fully endorsing the view of the SA Fruit and Vegetable Canners’ Association that South Africa, as a developing nation, should follow the
lead of similar countries to ensure that “exports are not strangled by an overvalued currency”, Hughes believes the only way this can be addressed is for the interest rate to come down.
MBABANE - Swaziland’s traffic lights have been darkened too long, lights along even new highways have been blacked out too often and telecommunications disrupted too regularly by outages caused by the theft of copper cable and optic fibre, the country’s courts have decided.
The Principal Magistrate's Court and prosecutors acted swiftly last week, handing down unprecedented bail conditions for two copper cable thieves brought to trial just three days after their arrests.
Thought to be part of a syndicate that has stripped copper cable from highway light poles and telephone lines, the two men were told they must pay R4.5 million each, a figure half the value of the copper wire found in their possession, prosecutors said.
It is a message the authorities hope will spread amongst thieves who have made life dangerous for highway travellers and difficult for phone users.
Arrests have been few for this crime partly because penalties have been too low, according to the Royal Swaziland Police Force, which wants fines increased.
However, at the urging of the Swaziland Post and Telecommunications Corporation and the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, magistrates ‘ court judge Sabelo Mngomezulu used his judicial discretion to hand down the multi-million bails.
Hundreds of millions of rands worth of copper wire and optic fibre cable have been stolen from public utilities in recent years, prompting the rebuilding of the highway infrastructure in some places to install sturdier, tamper-proof light poles.
Courts show no mercy to copper wire thievesSwazi court demands R4.5m bail for each suspect
8 | FRIDAY May 7 2010
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By James Hall
Gender stereotypes rooted in deeply traditional Swazi society are being challenged by a new initiative that is putting women drivers behind the wheels of big rig trucks.
“I’ve never seen a woman truck driver on the road before. We put out an advert recruiting female drivers. It said, ‘Women, where are you?’” Simphiwe LaNgwenya, human resources officer at UNITRANS Swaziland, told FTW.
Five women aged between 25 and 40 qualified for the two-week on-site training course to complement the company’s all-male driving staff of 75.
“What motivated us to do this was a desire to
enlighten other companies that the working sector is not gender inclined, it is about capabilities,” LaNgwenya said.
The new drivers are raking up mileage on short-haul trips within Swaziland, in preparation for the eight-hour drives to Durban, where after offloading cargo they will stay overnight at a company depot before a return trip the next day.
“We are assessing the new drivers like all drivers on their performances. But we’ve noticed something about the women drivers. They are very composed on the job. They have a multi-tasking capability. They also follow procedures well. They do everything by the book,” said LaNgwenya.
As for the women
Class of 2010 ... the first Swazi women drivers of commercial big rig trucks.
Women drivers challenge gender stereotyping
drivers’ work ethic, he said they take their jobs seriously.
“Knowing we are amongst the first, we want to show other women that even if they thought a certain job was for a man that is not necessarily so,” said Sandra Dlamini, one
of the drivers.The new recruits
operate the gamut of UNITRANS’s fleet, including the large MAN TGA and the Mercedes Benz Actros. Hazardous material handling is part of their training, because fuel haulage is a core business
for the firm, along with bulk agricultural products and other commodities.
“We want to call ourselves trend setters, and this initiative also helps expand the pool of potential employees for the company,” said LaNgwenya.
FRIDAY May 7 2010 | 9
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By Alan Peat
With SA work permits in mind, the department of home affairs has just come up with a ruling that from June 1 will make it more difficult for foreign truck drivers to enter the country on delivery trips from overborder states.
“The previous arrangement was that foreign drivers would be allowed to enter the country on a visitor’s visa for 30 days, do what they needed to do and then leave,” said Leon Isaacson, MD of Global Migration SA.
But now, foreign drivers on a foreign-registered truck will have to carry the required documentation with them, and apply at the border post for a visitor’s permit with permission to work (probably for 30 days).
“If the correct documentation is not presented,” said Isaacson, “the permit will not be issued and
the driver will not be allowed to proceed across the border into SA.”
And to pass this test, he added, drivers and drivers’
mates will have to be carrying a valid passport; a letter from the foreign truck owner verifying their employee status; and a letter describing their
itinerary in SA. For foreign drivers on an
SA-registered truck, they must have an SA work permit, or proof that the application has been submitted and is pending at home affairs.
Isaacson disputes whether the immigration staff at the border posts, apart from possibly the main artery at Beitbridge, are likely to be ready to process permits from June 1 under the new rulings.
“That’s two months,” he said, “and such new legislation normally takes about five to six months until it can be properly applied.”
And, if the border posts are not ready, Isaacson sees disaster brewing for the road transport industry.
“It the vehicle is carrying time-critical perishable cargo, or explosives, for example, they’ll have a major logistical headache on their hands.”
But, he added, in a more cynical state of mind, the
corruption at these border posts will probably make it a hundred or two hundred bucks in the right pocket, and the official “will make all your immigration problems go away”.
In a more serious vein, Barney Curtis, executive officer of the Federation of Southern African Transport Associations (Fesarta), told FTW in a call from Zambia that this was one of the issues on the table for discussion.
But it is going to have to join the queue, as the SA professional driver’s permit from the department of transport (DoT) is first in line.
Another complication, Curtis added, is that the work permit issue is handled by the department of home affairs, a different government body altogether.
“But,” he said, “we will be dealing with it at Southern African Development Community (SADC) level.”
Shock new ruling for foreign truck drivers Concern over impact on cross-border traffic flow
Foreign drivers on an SA-registered truck must have an SA work permit or proof that an application has been submitted and is pending.
10 | FRIDAY May 7 2010
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By Liesl Venter
The Consumer Protection Act will not impact too drastically on the freight forwarding industry in South Africa – particularly when it comes to day-to-day business deals.
Briefing the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) at its annual general meeting in Johannesburg, legal adviser William Fullard said expectations were that the Department of Trade and Industry would set a threshold value for the Act
at around R1 million per annum similar to that of the Credit Act.
This would mean that the Act would only be applicable when doing business with companies with a turnover of R1 million and less, while for bigger companies it would be business as usual.
“The big impact is that each company will have to decide if it is worth the effort to still do business with the smaller players and the individual. If they do decide to do business then they will have to alter their standard trading
conditions to take the Act into consideration.”
But, said Fullard, who has been commissioned by Saaff to look at the impact of the Act on the freight forwarding industry, it would probably no longer be of value to do business at the bottom end of the scale.
“The dti was expected to announce the threshold at the end of April, but this did not happen. They have also refused to commit to a timeline of when they will be announcing the threshold. At this point however all indications are that it will be
aligned to that of the Credit Act which is R1 million.”
Fullard’s advice to companies in the meantime is to analyse their customer base and determine what percentage of clients will be affected by the new Act.
“I don’t believe it is worthwhile for companies to change their entire business model for a small percentage of clients. Of course it will depend on each company and each CEO will have to make a decision based on who their customers are and what their company strategy is.”
Impact of Consumer Protection Act on forwarders spelt out
William Fullard … ‘Act will only apply when doing business with companies with a turnover of R1 million and less.’
Bottoms up for Namibian logisticsBy Ed Richardson
A number of Namibian logistics companies, together with the port of Walvis Bay, are toasting the news that SABMiller Namibia is to build a US $34 million
(R250-million) brewery outside Okahandja city, 70 kilometres north of Windhoek.
It will be one of the biggest construction projects in the country.
Construction of plants like
the brewery, which will use mainly imported components, is helping put a froth on earnings for the Namibian freight industry – including trucking companies, shippers, and clearing and forwarding agents.
Construction of the 220 000 hectolitre capacity brewery is expected to start in the second half of 2010.
More good news for Namibian truckers is that it will include a returnable
bottle packaging line and warehousing facilities.
It will produce the Castle and Castle Lite brands.
The construction of the plant will see changes to SABMiller’s logistics operations in Namibia.
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EUKOR - SOUTH AMERICA / AFRICA / FAR EAST
VESSEL VOY SHA HUA SIN DBN LUA LAG DOU TEA ABI SIN ULSGRAND HERO 003 06/05 09/05 14/05 26/05 01/06 07/06 13/06 17/06 19/06 08/07 15/07
VESSEL VOY TOY SIN DBN VTO SAN MVD DBN SIN CHB PYU ULSGRAND SAPPHIRE 001 SLD SLD SLD 06/05 08/05 12/05 24/05 07/06 15/06 18/06 -ASIA KING 089 - 15/05 - 06/06 09/06 12/06 24/06 07/07 15/07 19/07 02/07
EUKOR – FAR EAST / AFRICA / FAR EASTVESSEL VOY PYU ULS HUA SIN DBN REU MOM DAR MAP SIN ULSLORD VISHNU 008 SLD SLD SLD 30/04 15/05 18/05 - - - 27/05 03/06
VESSEL VOY YOK JEB DOH DAM BAN SHJ OMN MOM DAR DBN SINTAI SHAN 062 SLD SLD SLD SLD SLD SLD 30/04 15/05 16/05 22/05 05/06
DEDICATED EXPRESS LOADS▲ Roadfreight into Southern
and Central Africa▲ Consolidations ▲ Full loads ▲ Hazardous cargo▲ Confirmed daily tracking
Sars detains thousands of counterfeit jerseysSouth African Revenue Service Customs Border Control officers stationed at OR Tambo International Airport have detained 26 984 counterfeit Bafana Bafana Jerseys over the past 11 days.
Logistics major scoops BMW contract Gillhuber Logistik Group, a 100% subsidiary of IMPERIAL Logistics International’s business unit, Panopa Logistiek, has been awarded
the management of external warehousing and interplant transport for long-term customer BMW.
Grindrod acquires fuel transporterIn a cash deal valued at R160-million, the Grindrod group has acquired 100% of the issued share capital of Fuelogic with effect from April 21
Largest freighter helps clear volcanic backlogIn one of the stranger side-effects of the
Icelandic volcano’s eruption, the world’s largest freighter aircraft – the Antonov An-225 – has performed its first charter from China, carrying a full load of general cargo.
Mining lifts transport volumesThe income from freight transportation for the three months ended February 2010 increased by 9.8% compared with the previous year, according to StatsSA. The increase for the month of February was 10.9% up on 2009.
LaSt Week’S toP storIes oN www.cargoinfo.co.za
The serious backlog of containers raised in Durban by a railway workers’ strike was finally cleared up by April 28 – 11 days after the strike ended.
Lawrie Bateman, MD of rail users MSC Logistics, told
FTW containers discharged from ships on April 27 were already through the day after.
“There are only 865 TEUs waiting at the dockside to be railed,” he added. “This is a massive improvement on the
more than 1 200 import boxes that were standing waiting for trains at the height of the strike, with as many as 12 trains full of exports still stacked up at Kings Rest waiting to get into the port area.”
Customs-licensed container depot Bond store and SOS bond store Total site footprint > 70,000 m² 17-wagon rail siding facility Located 2,5 kms from Durban Container Terminal
myself and though absolutely happy in Cape Town and enjoying the challenges, I had no choice but to request to be with my family.”
Commenting on Motlohi’s departure, TPT divisional executive container manager Siya Mhlaluke said: “When we
By Alan Peat
The national strike at Transnet is now diarised for May 10 – with the 50 000 union members due to down tools at the start of the first shift on that Monday.
The strike has been called by the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) and the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu).
This is supposed to bring Transnet Freight Rail (TFR); Transnet Rail Engineering; Transnet Port Terminals (TPT); Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA);
Transnet Pipelines; Transnet Capital Projects and the corporate head office to a grinding halt.
The two unions have been in negotiations for an annual wage increase and related conditions since March this year, according to Jane Barrett, policy and research officer of Satawu.
Conciliation failed to resolve the dispute, she added, and industrial action is the next step permitted in terms of the Labour Relations Act.
“The central issue is the basic wage,” said Barrett. “Management is offering 8%,
while our demand is 15%.”Issues that are fuelling the
dispute are the huge salaries and incentive bonuses paid to top managers. Of the total bonuses paid last year, 51% of the amount paid out went to 4 500 managers and 49% was shared between 49 000 bargaining unit workers.
Another bone of contention is the fact that Transnet’s downscaling from 200 000 to 50 000 employees over time has put additional pressures on workers but has not yielded fairer remuneration and there have been no notch increases for five years in Transnet Freight Rail after
the company withdrew from its 25th percentile agreement.
“Transnet’s workers feel cheated,” said Barrett. “Never before have they been so united and resolute.”
While apologising to the
public, Barrett added: “We want to put on record that going on strike is not an easy decision to make. The absence of a decent wage offer has forced the unions into this position.”
Transnet strike set for May 10
sent him to Cape Town I was confident he was going to make an impact but he will leave for his successor the foundations he has put in place.”
Motlohi reported for work on Monday (May 3) as business unit executive at Durban’s Pier 1, succeeding Michelle Phillips, who is driving container sector
business development.He will however still
be responsible for Cape Town Container and MPT terminals until a successor is appointed.
Shortly after moving to Cape Town, Motlohi and his wife were involved in a head-on collision in Gauteng while returning to Cape Town from a family funeral.
Bill this will however change, said legal adviser Freek van Rooyen.
“The new law states that Sars will retain the right to bring criminal charges if and when they choose to do so, despite a company having paid a fine if found to have contravened the
law. This means that any contravention can be held against a company for as long as Sars intends to do so.”
And both experts agree stepping out of line three times is not difficult. “This part of the new law is a very serious concern and one that we continue to address as it is draconian to say the
least,” said Marais.“We also believe, after
much deliberation and analysing of the new Customs Control Bill, that this is all about control and not necessarily revenue generation.”
He said the new Act was aimed at controlling imports and exports from the point of origin to the final
destination and keeping that in mind it did bring opportunity. “You will have a sustainable business going forward and you will be involved in the process from beginning to end. We are more optimistic about the new bills now than we were initially.”
Marais said Saaff continued to engage with
Sars on the bill. The revenue service has started to comment on some of the proposals and comments made on the drafts. “We don’t, however, expect to see Sars move this legislation through Parliament by October as was the initial intention. The process is still very far from being finalised.”
From page 1
Port Elizabeth port … If next week’s strike goes ahead Transnet Port Terminals and Transnet National Ports Authority are among the divisions that will come to a grinding halt.
COMPILED AND PRINTED IN ONE DAYOutbound
Updated until 11am Updated daily on Cargo Info Africa – www.cargoinfo.co.za
Name of Ship/Voy/Line WBAY CT PE EL DBN RBAY Loading for
To: The Far East and South East Asia Updated daily on http://www.cargoinfo.co.za
OUTBOUND BY DATE - Dates for sailing: 10/05/2010 - 24/05/2010