The Parliament Standing Committee on Finance will conduct oversight visits to three Border Management Authority (BMA) Ports of Entry to observe selected operational areas of verification of reported performance and control. BMA Commissioner and CEO, Dr Michael Masiapato will be on the ground to welcome the Standing Committee during its oversight visit to offer insights into the workings of the organisation at the coalface of service delivery.
The Committee will begin the first of its oversight visit at Durban Harbour on Tuesday 27 January. It is envisaged that the Committee will, over and above being briefed on the BMA’s operational services, observe how BMA officials perform their day-to-day port immigration, port health, biosecurity duties especially processing of vessels in terms of travellers and goods, referrals, as well as seizures. In addition, the Committee will observe how at the harbour, the BMA works together with other government entities such as the South African Revenue Service (SARS) with regards to cargo clearance systems and the South African Police Service (SAPS), including Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).
Day two (Wednesday, 28 January) of the oversight visit will see the Committee taking to the OR Tambo International Airport. Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), SARS, SAPS K9 Unit, and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) will provide the Committee with key insights regarding complex operations of Border Management work; including but not limited to functions of passenger and cargo flows, queue and lane management, express freight risk, cash declaration workflow, including related currency declaration trends, evidence handling, amongst other areas of service interest to the Committee.
The Committee will conclude its oversight visit on Thursday 29 January at the Beitbridge Port of Entry. The BMA will provide site overview of port operations from lane configuration, queue management, peak patterns and risk profiles associated with transportation of tobacco, fuel, counterfeit goods and cash. Moreover, the Committee will observe port operations in the commercial cargo movement facilitation, inspection and inspection capacity, movement facilitation and documentation checks. In addition to observing commercial cargo movement, the Committee will also observe how travellers are processed at this port of entry, with particular focus on baggage screening, vulnerable traveller safeguard, clearance times, seizures, amongst others.
The BMA welcomes the oversight visit because it highlights the Select Committee on Finance’s commitment to ensuring not only is the BMA accountable on how it spends public funds, but also how this Parliamentary body works together with the BMA to ensure the organisation is sufficiently funded to meet its mandated objectives, and the Committee’s support role in the value chain of border management work.
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