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Angola: Customs Clearance Without Original Bs/L Limited in Scope
As per recent reports, in accordance with the attached General Tax Administration (GTA) document issued on the application of the GTA Notice no. 5 of 19 February 2015, it is now possible for some Angolan receivers to obtain their cargo without producing the original Bills of Lading.
This regulation is aimed at reducing the delays in releasing cargo which may occur due to a nationwide shortage of foreign currency and according to our Luanda office, it only applies if and when:
- The original Bills of Lading have not been released because the bank has insufficient foreign currency to honour the relevant Letters of Credit or documentary remittances.
- The cargo is perishable or has a short shelf life.
The President of the Angolan Ship Agent’s Association (AANTA) has advised us that so far only 406 Bills of Lading are concerned.
He added that following AANTA’s official protest to the GTA (also attached), a series of meetings between AANTA and the GTA were held. AANTA’s President is now awaiting a decision from the Ministry of Finance as to whether the instructions of 19 February regarding the release of cargo without the original Bs/L will be either amended or cancelled.
We are continuing to monitor the situation.
Filipe Bonfim, Budd Angola
filipe.bonfim@budd-pni.com
Sarah Penwarden, Budd Marseille
sarah.penwarden@budd-pni.com
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