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THE South African Revenue Service (SARS) will push ahead with a trial of its new traveller management system in November, despite concerns from the country’s shaken tourism sector.
The South African (SA) Traveller Management System proposed by SARS has been met with apprehension from the country’s tourism sector, which, in addition to being battered by the pandemic and its associated lockdown restrictions, has struggled with government’s red tape. Both stumbling blocks have made the industry ‘gun-shy’, according to the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA).
SARS’ October announcement of the impending implementation of an online travel pass sent shivers through SA’s tourism sector, which said that, despite assurances of consultation from the revenue service, there was no meaningful engagement prior to the public announcement.
A SARS representative was due to join a media briefing hosted by SATSA on 18 October to explain, in detail, the practical function of the traveller management system and its impact on passengers moving in and out of SA.
SARS didn’t attend, and this snub left more questions than answers.
At the very least, SATSA said, uncertainty surrounding the travel pass should delay its implementation.
The new system would require ‘all travellers, including SA citizens and residents, children and infants, leaving or entering SA by air to complete and submit an online traveller declaration,” according to SARS. It was due to be implemented on November 1 at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.
And despite the tourism sector’s appeals for a delay, SARS last week, confirmed that the system would come online in November, but not at OR Tambo.