Cigarette manufacturers to install CCTV cameras at warehouses
The Gauteng High Court dismissed an urgent application by the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association and numerous other tobacco manufacturers who refuse to comply with a SARS ruling to install CCTV cameras.
Picture: © koloj/123rf.com
JOHANNESBURG - The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has won a legal battle to force cigarette manufacturers to install CCTV cameras at their warehouses.
On Friday, the Gauteng High Court dismissed an urgent application by the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association and numerous other tobacco manufacturers who refuse to comply with a SARS ruling to install CCTV cameras.
The companies say that it is an infringement of their privacy.
The ruling in favour of SARS has been described as a major win in combating the illicit cigarette trade.
Tax Justice SA founder Yusuf Abramjee said, "this is a vital breakthrough against the illicit tobacco barons who are robbing Mzansi of billions of rand a year by flooding the market with tax-evading cigarettes".
Abramjee added that the flouting of laws regarding industrial-scale looting from SARS has being going on for too long.
"The kingpins are brazenly siphoning billions of rand in dirty money to offshore havens by utilising high-level accomplices and exploiting weaknesses in our enforcement agencies, which were hollowed out by years of state capture," said Abramjee.
