Goods that are certified and fully produced in member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will be exempt from customs duties, an official said on Tuesday in Luanda.
The head of the Department of Tariffs and Trade of the General Tax Administration, Santos Mussano, also said that customs duties exemption occurs provided the goods comply with a set of guidelines, known as Rules of Origin, that determine their nationality.
This measure is a first step for the movement of goods in all countries of the region and for preferential treatment, which will guarantee exemption from payment of customs duties within the SADC, said Mussano, quoted by Angolan daily newspaper Jornal de Angola.
The SADC defines goods entirely produced in the region as those that use local raw materials or from other member countries, and products using raw materials from outside SADC, provided they are used for the production of consumer goods, are also considered to be produced in the region.
The SADC Free Trade Area will comprise 16 member states, with a population of more than 230 million people and a gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately US$441 billion.
More information to be posted soon.
