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Get cracking on border agency, says home affairs

Source: Business Day, 18/05/2017

Opposition parties say if Border Management Authority Bill were passed
in its present form, it would usurp customs and excise function of
South African Revenue Service
The Department of Home Affairs was pushing for the Border Management
Authority Bill to be passed through Parliament, Home Affairs Minister
Hlengiwe Mkhize said just before her budget vote on Wednesday.

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba was also keen to see the bill passed,
she said.

The ANC, which holds the majority of seats in Parliament, failed to
get the bill passed in the National Assembly after the plenary could
not secure a quorum to put the bill to vote.

All opposition parties voiced their apprehension that the bill, if it
were passed in its present form, would usurp the customs and excise
function of the South African Revenue Service (SARS). This crucial
function has been a revenue generator for the fiscus, but could be
unravelled if it were to be taken over by the proposed Border
Management Agency, the establishment of which will be triggered by the
adoption of the bill.

Speaking to reporters ahead of her budget vote, Mkhize said the bill
had gone through "endless consultation" and had long been approved by
the Cabinet. The government could no longer postpone interventions to
end SAâ€™s fragmented border management, she said.

"Everyone was unanimous in their support for home affairs to take the
lead at the Border Management Agency. There were questions about SARS
and customs but after engagement, we agreed on co-ordinated management
so that we implement policy that is coherent," Mkhize said.
Gigaba, her predecessor at home affairs, remained a supporter of the
bill, which had pitted him against the Treasury.

While Mkhize said SARS would still be able to manage revenue from
excise after the bill was enacted, there was still no clarity whether
this would include revenue collection at ports of entry â€" this is not
expressly stated in the bill.

Her budget vote aimed to prioritise the review of SAâ€™s international
migration policy.

The Cabinetâ€™s approval of the white paper on international migration
would address SAâ€™s policy position on migration.

"The new white paper is important as it will provide a policy
framework for amending immigration and refugee legislation [and]
better align them to our goals of using migration for development,"
she said.

Home Affairs Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan said the department would
consider measures to prevent it falling victim to "malicious
litigation".

Director-general Mkuseli Apleni said other priorities would be to
improve the security of documentation and to combat fraud. "We started
with smart cards and passports. People were taking passports
fraudulently. We issue manual passports and the minister will make an
announcement on that, along with measures on fraud," said Apleni.

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