Savino in quest to fight illegal liquor cross border trading
Freight forwarding company, Savino Del Bene (SDB) last week launched a campaign to tackle cross-border illegal liquor trading.
The launch follows Namibian authorities associating Savino’s name with a counterfeit liquor bust which took place in Walvis Bay resulting in the company faced with a N$70 million tag to pay to Namibia’s Department of Customs and Excise.
Savino Managing Director, Kobus Maree in a statement has denied the allegations related to the incident which took place in June/July this year saying that the company has not operated in that country since the beginning of 2017. “I have been trying to get to the bottom of the allegations on a daily basis.
“Since receiving the Notice from the Department of Customs and Excise, we have been in touch with them to present our side and clear up the matter as quickly as possible. The Acting Commissioner has not been available and we have been informed by email that the matter is under investigation,’ Maree said.
“However it is my fiduciary duty to protect the company’s reputation and integrity which has been built up over the past 21 years. Every day that the matter is not resolved increases the rumours and damage. In addition we have always been an organisation that has campaigned vigorously against all forms of illicit trade in all the countries where we operate.
“The company has traded across Southern Africa for the past 21 years establishing an impeccable reputation for ethical trade facilitation. Some of the world’s top companies are counted among Savino Del Bene’s clients and the company’s top executives have striven tirelessly in the local, national and international logistics industry to improve trade at all levels,” Maree said.
“In the light of this, we have called on the liquor industry to join us in tackling the scourge which has reached international proportions. Governments are losing billions of dollars in tax revenues, legitimate businesses are being undermined and consumers exposed to poorly made and unregulated products which the United Nations estimated in 2009 at US$2.1 trillion. The World Trade Organisation estimates that the value of counterfeit and pirated goods is equivalent to some 7% of the world’s merchandise,” he added.
“We have set up a meeting with the liquor brand holder involved and their attorneys to address the anomalies in this case and discuss cooperation going forward to tackle the problem wherever it may occur, particularly regarding Third World borders which can be vulnerable.”
Savino Del Bene is part of a worldwide corporate network that specialises in global logistics, freight forwarding, clearing and supply chain management operating in 47 countries with facilities in America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Indian subcontinent.
