Assurer: Tariff Amendments

About the Position

SARS is looking for a highly skilled customs official with unquestionable integrity to ensure the Schedule to the Customs and Excise Act, 91 of 1964 (the Act) published on the SARS website is accurate. The ideal candidate will ensure that the tariff subheadings and descriptions used in the publication are in line with the Harmonized System Nomenclature and South African Tariff structure. They will ensure that all completed work in the division is quality assured and adhere to governance and legislative requirements.

The role demands strong technical knowledge of Customs and Excise and the ability to do legal research, analyse import data and prepare reports, recommendations and presentations where required. The candidate must be able to work well within a team or individually. A strong customs and excise knowledge is crucial to interpret and analyse various trade agreements and other trade instruments as required to meet the strategic objectives of SARS.

Job Purpose

To quality check draft amendments for the Minister of Finance’s approval.  To quality assure all submissions related to amendments to the Schedules of the Customs and Excise Act by ensuring the accuracy, quality, and ongoing maintenance including historical records of data across all legacy and new tariff management systems, as well as internal and external tariff publications, in alignment with legislative, national, and international requirements.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

National Diploma / Advanced Certificate (NQF 6) ) in International Trade, Economics, Commerce, Business or Law AND 2 - 3 years’ experience in a in a tariff classification or tariff management environment, with a thorough knowledge of the schedules to the Customs and Excise Act of which 1 – 2 years at a knowledge worker level

Alternative Minimum Experience:

Senior Certificate (NQF 4) AND 5 years related experience, in tariff classification or tariff management environment with a thorough knowledge of the schedules to the Customs and Excise Act. A thorough understanding of the Harmonised System, the architecture of a clearing and/or publishing system and the interaction surrounding this environment would be preferred, of which 1 - 2 years at a knowledge worker level

Minimum Functional Requirements

Job Outputs:

• Draft, review, quality-assure and finalise amendment instruments and supporting documents.


• Run governance & publication: manage approvals, public comment, consideration of submissions, and publication in the Government Gazette.


• Implement policy directives: give effect to HS updates; trade agreements/policy directives (dtic/ITAC); and indirect tax policy matters (National Treasury).


• Quality assurance & risk: implement structured reviews; identify and mitigate legal, operational and fiscal risks before implementation.


• Monitoring & insights: track utilisation/impact post-implementation; recommend improvements to drafting methods, templates and processes.


• Data Analysis, the ability to calculate the financial implications of tariff amendments.

Process

• Accumulate information and provide reports with recommendations applicable to area of specialisation. (I)


• Apply practical and applied knowledge and act authoritatively on methods, systems and procedures to identify trends and potential risks. (I)


• Communication of situational interpretation and judgement of work outputs and queries in area of specialisation. (I)


• Correctly apply policies, practices, standards, procedures and legislation in the delivery of work outputs. (I)


• Effectively plan and schedule own activities to continuously improve quality and service delivery in area of specialisation. (I)


• Execute process and procedural change, implement the change and provide guidelines and support related to new requirements as a result of the change. (I)


• Provide specialist input through the investigation of opportunities for operational and process, product and risk optimisation. (I)


• Use practical and applied knowledge and situational judgement to arrive at decisions. (I)


• Legislative drafting & statutory interpretation: Proven ability to translate policy intent into clear, defensible legal text and schedules.


• Tariff & HS mastery: Advanced knowledge of Customs & Excise Act, Harmonized System (HS) structure, Section/Chapter/Heading Notes, GRIs (1–6), and SARS classification principles.


• Research & analysis: Ability to conduct legal research, analyse utilisation/impact data, and prepare high-quality recommendations and publications.


• Governance & publication: Experience navigating SARS governance, public-comment processes and Government Gazette publication.


• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to produce persuasive, accurate drafting notes and briefs.


• Provide updated Schedules for loading on the SARS website to ensure that the updates and publications are aligned with legislation.

Governance

• Comply to set governance and compliance procedures and processes related to an area of specialisation and continuously identify and escalate risks. (I)

People

• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with peers and team members to achieve predefined objectives. (I)


• Maintain professional interaction and ensure ethical dealings with clients at all times by constantly building customer relationships

Finance

• Adhere to organisational policies and procedures to ensure cost effectiveness and reduction of financial costs. (I)

Client

• Contribute to a culture of service excellence, which builds positive relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service. (I)


• Ensure own understanding and adherence to customer service delivery and provide specialist support to meet or exceed customer expectations. (I)

Behavioural competencies

• Accountability


• Attention to detail


• Commitment to continuous learning


• Conceptual Ability


• Expertise in Context


• Fairness and Transparency


• Honesty and Integrity


• Organisational Awareness


• Respect


• Trust

Technical competencies

• Business Knowledge


• Decision Making and Problem Solving


• Decisiveness


• Execute, Implement and Follow Through


• Legal Compliance


• Legal Knowledge and knowledge of ethics


• Reporting


• Tariff and Classification (CUSTOMS EU FRAMEWORK)

Compliance Competency

GOC Confidential - (a) sensitive information, the unlawful disclosure of which may be harmful to the security or national interest of the Republic or could prejudice the Republic in its international relations;(b) commercial information, the disclosure of which may cause financial loss to an entity or may prejudice an entity in its relations with its clients,

competitors, contractors and suppliers. E.g. Taxpayer information

Employment Equity

The Employment Equity policy of SARS will be considered as part of the recruitment and selection process and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an oath of secrecy, pre-employment screening, case study, pre-assessment, psychometric assessment and or vetting, and a declaration of private interest. The appointment is also subject to appropriate reference(s) and security clearance where applicable.