SARS Introduces Travel Pass for People Entering Mzansi, Citizens Unimpressed by Move

• The South African Revenue Service (SARS) plans to implement an online travellers’ declaration system
• The online system will first be launched at the OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday, 1 November
• South Africans will have to obtain a travel pass before they depart or enter the country after an international trip

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Revenue Service (SARS) plans to implement an online travellers’ declaration system to simplify passenger movement at local airports. The system will kick in on Tuesday, 1 November.

All travellers must comply with the new system to collect travel information. The system will then grant the person a traveller’s pass via email.

According to BusinessTech the online system will first be launched at the OR Tambo International Airport, and the others will follow within the first three months of 2023. SARS said upon the arrival of passengers to South Africa, there will be instructions that will guide and inform travellers of the process.

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The Citizen reported that South Africans will have to obtain a travel pass before they depart or enter the country after an international trip.

Travellers must also complete a Travellers Card if they have items to declare. A card will be found alongside their passport in the customs process.

Items required to be declared include products purchased or received abroad, goods that were remodelled or repaired abroad and prohibited, restricted or items controlled under the law.

Citizens react to the new system:

@clarkieAAA said:

“So essentially a temporary secondary passport. Ffs what bull!”

@lerato_lalove commented:

I’m just going to ignore this and claim “what? I didn’t know”.”

@PamelaSalalah posted:

“Good. May curb crime.”

Dr Aaron Motsoaledi justifies passport hikes, says government was “heavily subsidising” holders

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said the price hikes for passports and travel documents were decided following a benchmarking exercise.

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In a statement released by the Home Affairs Department, South Africa’s tariffs were almost three times lower than other countries.

Motsoaledi said that the production costs are much higher than the price of passports and that government is “heavily subsidising” passport holders.

Source: Briefly News