Complaint number |
NTB Type
Check allUncheck all |
Date of incident |
Location |
Reporting country or region (additional) |
Status |
Actions |
NTB-000-157 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-27 |
Kenya: Kenya Revenue Authority |
Tanzania |
Resolved 2011-07-28 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Too much time is lost during cross border pre-shipment inspection and certification for Kenyan bound cargo. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
At the NMC meeting held in Nairobi on 29 August 2011, Kenya reported that KRA is currently carrying out time release study to determine time taken at borders.
2. EAC is in the process of introducing OSBP. |
|
NTB-000-359 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2010-02-10 |
Kenya: Ministry of Home Affairs |
Tanzania |
Resolved 2011-07-28 |
View |
Complaint:
|
In Kenya, police can claim that a container is security risk and arrest it until customs people come. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
At the NMC meeting held in Nairobi on 29 August 2011, Kenya reported that this was an isolated case which did not repeat. |
|
NTB-000-358 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2010-02-10 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ministry of Trade |
Tanzania |
Resolved 2023-02-20 |
View |
Complaint:
|
The process of obtaining DRC Ogeframe certificate delays cargo at the port and increases costs. Procedure is too long as it involves exporter paying fees at Tanzania Revenue Authority in DAr es Salaam Office and then take the document for endorsement by DRC. This is applicable only to transit goods to DRC. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Member States agreed to resolve on the strength that no complaints had been received . |
|
NTB-000-382 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2010-08-11 |
South Africa: Beit Bridge |
Malawi |
Resolved 2011-10-18 |
View |
Complaint:
|
The process of clearing trucks at the Beit Bridge Border Post is very low since week beginning 26 July 2010. Trucks take up to 3 days to cross from Messina to Beitbridge? Drivers have reported that South Africa Revenue Authorities are not deploying enough manpower to clear trucks on time. Stops and supervising take ages to be completed |
|
Resolution status note:
|
At the Cross Border Road Transport Agency Indaba held on 18-19 October 2011, SARS reported that most clearance procedures are now done electronically. SARS is now moving into a paperless environment and is encouraging all Hauliers/Operators to register their road manifest with SARS to cut out on paper work at the border. It now takes as little as 11 minutes for a truck to be cleared on the South African side at Beit Bridge border. |
|
NTB-000-049 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures Policy/Regulatory |
2008-12-22 |
Kenya: Kenya Bureau of Standards |
Egypt |
Resolved 2013-01-14 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Pre-verification of Compliance (PVOC)
Complaint drawn to the attention of the Kenyan authorities |
|
Resolution status note:
|
On 14 January 2013, Egypt Focal Point reported that Egypt was no longer complaining about the PVOC that Kenya is applying. So the NTB -000-049 should be put in the resolved NTBs category. |
|
NTB-000-151 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-27 |
Kenya: Kenya Revenue Authority |
Tanzania |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
On a number of occasions, Kenyan customs demands that products originating from Tanzania have to be unloaded for physical verification, which means destruction of the product packages. The importer has thereafter to repackage goods at own cost so as to fit original packages. Products most affected include tyres, textiles, cognac spirits and cigarettes. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Issue resolved through COMESA customs and trade comittee |
|
NTB-000-152 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-27 |
Kenya: Kenya Revenue Authority |
Tanzania |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Kenyan customs often demand a customs insurance bond for transit goods that pass through Kenyan roads en route to Uganda , Rwanda, Burundi and DRC. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Issue resolved through EAC |
|
NTB-000-037 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2008-05-29 |
Malawi: Malawi Revenue Authority |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2011-05-25 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Zimbabwe complained that the Malawian authorities require a Pre-Shipment Inspection on all goods. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Malawi reportd that Preshipment Inspection was phased out in 2007. |
|
NTB-000-198 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-27 |
Malawi: Malawi Revenue Authority |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Discrimination in goods clearance between small and commercial traders.The quantities that a trader carries determine the procedure to be followed in clearing goods through the border. Small traders into Malawi are clogging up the whole system and flooding up the whole market with commercial goods. Commercial traders are pushed out of the system because of the procedures that are applied at the port of entry. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Malawi reported that Customs clearing procedures are the same for small as well as commercial traders, but this could have been a one-off incident. However, now the Revenue Authority has an inland clearing system to overcome delays at the border and Malawi will continuously monitor the situation at the border to ensure smooth flow of goods and people |
|
NTB-000-095 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-26 |
Mozambique: Mozambique Revenue Authority |
Mauritius |
Resolved 2010-11-10 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Mozambique companies importing paints from Mauritius have to pay a percentage of the customs duty upfront and the balance settled when clearing the goods. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Mozambique reported that the question does not constitute a nontariff barrier, the Customs following a procedure laid that allows the granting of early release upon bail in a maximum of 72 hours. Eventually may be delays in the clearing process, in that case is not the customs responsibility but the Clearing Agent. |
|
NTB-000-095 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-26 |
Mozambique: Mozambique Revenue Authority |
Mauritius |
Resolved 2010-11-10 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Mozambique companies importing paints from Mauritius have to pay a percentage of the customs duty upfront and the balance settled when clearing the goods. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Complaint was resolved |
|
NTB-000-131 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-26 |
Mozambique: Other Mozambique |
Eswatini |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Mozambique customs rules vary, causing long delays at the borders. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Mozambique reported that all the Mozambican borders rules and procedures are already harmonized and standardized within the SADC Regional Integration and the World Customs Organization (WCO), the rules applied in Mozambique border are consistent with procedures used at Swaziland border and SADC countries. |
|
NTB-000-197 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-27 |
Mozambique: Delegação Aduaneira de Machipanda (Rail) |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Zimbabwean exporters take longer to clear products at the Mozambique/Zimbabwe border. This is affecting particularly exports of fresh milk. This has limited Zimbabweans to exporting products that have a long shelf life into that country. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Mozambique reported that there are proper procedures for speedy clearance of fresh products, which ensure timely customs clearance and without damage to the economic operators. We will try to ascertain the situation and creating conditions that this does not happen again |
|
NTB-000-265 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-09-08 |
Namibia: Ministry of Trade |
Namibia |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
General export licences and permits issued for all non SACU exports are processed by hand. There is no interface between the MTI permit system and ASYCUDA. The system is unpredictable with ever changing procedures as per the SACU agreement's Jacobsens' Index. The IEM requirements are not widely known, especially among incidental traders. There is limited capacity at MTI to handle and process the import and export permits. At present only one official is handling the permits. HS codes need to be obtained from Customs and Excise since MTI is not equiped to assist in this. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Namibia reported that the system determines the change in the rate of duties but not procedures due to economic and policy considerations. Information leaflets on IEM are readily available at the Customs information centre and more will be available at MTI. |
|
NTB-000-266 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-09-08 |
Namibia: Ministry of Trade |
Namibia |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
The following stringent conditions stringent and cumbersome conditions are applied on the re-export (in bond mainly to Angola) of controlled petroleum products subject to permit:
a) A trade permit obtained from MTI a copy of which is to be supplied to the ministry.
B) The oil company involved and prices qouted shall be reviewed in writing in MTI.
c) Prices shall include all basic purchase costs |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Namibia reported that this information is required for the Government to determine the amount of tax to be paid by the exporting company and for Custom and excise levies |
|
NTB-000-119 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-26 |
Seychelles: Other Seychelles |
Seychelles |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Lengthy clearing processes at the Seychelles ports. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Seychelles reported that, with the Asycuda system the clearing process can take 24hrs, all transaction can be done on-line. Appointments were given to clear goods to facilitate work of custom officers and avoid congestion Need to confirm current situation |
|
NTB-000-314 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-09-09 |
Seychelles: Port Victoria |
Seychelles |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
The clearing process is somewhat lengthy, and bureaucratic as appointments have to be made to clear goods |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Seychelles reported that with the Asycuda system the clearing process can take 24hrs, all transaction can be done on-line. Appointments were given to clear goods to facilitate work of custom officers and avoid congestion at the port as handling capacity are limited. Need to confirm current situation. |
|
NTB-000-316 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures Policy/Regulatory |
2009-09-09 |
Seychelles: Port Victoria |
Eswatini |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
There is a total lack of consistency in the application of customs procedures at all clearing offices in Seychelles |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Seychelles proposed to have clearing agents undergo a competency training/exam for them to be well versed with application of customs procedures |
|
NTB-000-327 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-09-09 |
Eswatini: Bordergate |
Eswatini |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
|
There is a lack of proper customs procedures and harmonization at the border posts as well as lack of an automated customs declaration system linking Swaziland Borders. |
|
Resolution status note:
|
Swaziland reported that ASYCUDA ++ has been rolled out in 60 percent of the border posts. However it is fully operational on exports. Some modules especially those related to deferment on imports have not yet been implemented yet. Capacity constraints and lack of financial resources and telecommunications infrastructure continue to pose a challenge. Nonetheless, the amendment to the Customs and Excise Act seeking to introduce mandatory electronic declaration has gone through the first reading in Parliament. It is believed that the law will facilitate the allocation of resources to the automation programme. The Department has reviewed the Memorandum of Agreement signed with South Africa with an aim to initiate discussions that will lead to ICT interconnectivity. |
|
NTB-000-392 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2011-02-14 |
Mozambique: Customs |
Mozambique |
Resolved 2011-07-28 |
View |
Complaint:
|
Customs require supervision of packing of all export containers for certain products such as perishables, at point of packing. This means that they have to supervise packing on the farm. This requires that the export company provides transport, expenses and accommodation to customs officers for the times when containers are being packed. Often customs officers are not available, or are delayed meaning that the company has to wait for them. If the company is a regular exporter and its farm is located away from a customs post (often the case) then they are required to provide accommodation, office space and living expenses for customs officers to be permanently on site to supervise any containers packed |
|
Resolution status note:
|
At the 9th meeting of the SADC Sub-committee on trade facilitation, Mozambique reported that this is a not a NTB but a normal customs procedure to seal containers at the farm in order to expedite exports. Once sealed the container is not opened at the port. |
|
Products:
|
0708.10: Fresh or chilled peas "Pisum sativum", shelled or unshelled |
|