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SARS man elected to world body on customs
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Loyiso Langeni
Business Day
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
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The South African Revenue Service has reinforced its reputation as one of the world’s leading tax collection institutions with the recent election of a senior official to the World Customs Organisation.
Erich Kieck, group executive for customs strategy and policy, said yesterday his election would give SA the prestige of making “for the first time ever a direct contribution” to the formulation of global customs policy.
“My election is a reflection of the standing and reputation that the South African Revenue Service has gained in the world,” Mr Kieck said.
“This is an amazing opportunity and we have a lot to share with the rest of the world.”
SA had received significant support from developed and developing countries for his candidature, he said.
Through a secret ballot, Mr Kieck was elected to a five-year term as the director for capacity building at the Brussels-based World Customs Organisation. He received 129 votes out of a possible 150.
Revenue authorities from Lesotho, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia were among the most vocal supporters of his candidature.
Gene Ravele, South African Revenue Service chief officer for customs and border management, credited the election of Mr Kieck to the leadership of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. Mr Gordhan had assisted with the creation of the World Customs Organisation’s capacity-building directorate, Mr Ravele said.
Mr Gordhan had been commissioner in charge of the South African Revenue Service and had been widely praised for turning that institution into a formidable public service entity.
The World Customs Organisation is a multilateral institution that focuses exclusively on customs policy. The organisation has a worldwide membership of 176 members.
Mr Kieck, a qualified lawyer with 16 years’ experience as a public servant and private sector consultant, says he hopes to use his skills to make the customs organisation more responsive to the policy needs of developing countries.
His responsibilities at the World Customs Organisation will include creating customs excellence, improving capacity, building partnerships, enhancing delivery models and mobilising upport for the organisation.
Mr Kieck is set to commence his duties in January, and will remain in the position until 2015.
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