SARS is owed at least R200-million resulting from the sale of illegal cigarette smuggling.
A single case has kept the tax revenue service busy for over seven years.
SARS says fewer imports and greater exports are signs it’s making progress in clamping down on the illegal tobacco trade, but it’s told Parliament it can do better.
Over the past six months, SARS has seized illegal cigarettes worth R40-million from over 300 busts.
But MPs are unimpressed by the success rate.
ANC parliamentary representative, Dorothy Mabiletsa, said, “cigarette and tobacco smuggling are continuing, which simply means you are not doing enough.”
SARS said it’s lost skills in curbing the illicit flows because of the destruction of the revenue service.
Intikhab Shaik, the SARS acting-chief officer of Digital Information said, “there’s certainly a capability at SARS, but I will not be telling the truth if I say we have the full capacity. We definitely need to rebuild.”
SARS said seizing contraband is not enough.
Shaik explained, “you can try as much as you like to catch 40 million sticks of cigarettes…you can catch 10 billion sticks of cigarettes, but if you don’t follow the money and you don’t get the person, you’ve done nothing.”
The revenue service conceded that it doesn’t really know how much is being lost to the fiscus as a result of the illicit tobacco trade but hopes to introduce new technology, and a raft of regulations in the new year to improve its success rate in catching the culprits.
In other news – Buhle Samuels looks so incredible in Lingerie – Pictures
It looks like actress Buhle Samuels loves serving what’s best for her followers and fans, and she really knows how much of sauce to put in so that her people are always greatly teased. She has for a long time nailed it when it comes to fashion and she is indeed a good dresser. Buhle has worn dresses, skirts, jeans, trousers, bikinis, shorts, and she looks so lovely in all those fashion styles.
But come to think of her in lingerie, she is so incredible. She has shared some beautiful snaps of herself rocking in lingerie, and she is so hot. She has all it takes to be a fashion killer because she knows how best to strike a pose when in lingerie. see more pics
Source: eNCA
