ERS to sharpen customs controls, compliance

EZULWINI – The Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) has embarked on an exercise to modernise its customs operations.

The revenue service has officially issued a call for a specialist consultant to develop a comprehensive and adaptable framework aimed at enhancing compliance in customs classification and valuation.

The initiative, according to official procurement documents (ERS2026/012), is not merely a procedural update, but a strategic overhaul designed to align Eswatini’s trade mechanisms with international best practices and World Customs Organisation (WCO) standards.

For the local and international business community, the implications are clear: The era of ‘guesswork’ in declarations is coming to an end, replaced by a sophisticated, data-driven regime of precision and accountability.

The primary objective is to enhance the effectiveness of declaration controls and verifications implemented for the correct valuation and classification of goods.

Currently, customs administrations globally face the challenge of ‘valuation fraud’ and ‘misclassification’, tactics sometimes used to underpay duties or bypass import restrictions.

By developing a more robust framework, the ERS intends to plug these revenue leakages. However, the benefits extend beyond revenue collection.

For the ethical trader, the new framework promises a more level playing field. When the effectiveness of controls is enhanced, it ensures that every market participant is playing by the same rules, preventing those who circumvent the system from gaining an unfair competitive advantage.

The document highlights a commitment to WCO standards, specifically the General Annexes of the Revised Kyoto Convention and the WCO Valuation Agreement.

By seeking to align with these international benchmarks, the ERS is making Eswatini a more attractive destination for foreign investment. International companies look for ‘predictability’ and ‘transparency’ in customs processes.

The proposed framework will focus on shifting the ERS from a traditional, transactional-based control system to a more modern, risk-based approach.

This means that instead of stopping every shipment for physical inspection, which causes bottlenecks and increases the cost of doing business, the ERS will use the new framework to ‘verify’ and ‘control’ declarations based on sophisticated risk profiles.