Procedure

AGENCY: LIVESTOCKAND LIVESTOCK PORDUCTS BOARD OF NAMIBIA (LLPB)

3.1.1 Application for livestock export permit

3.1.1.1 Any person applying for a permit to export livestock which falls in the domain of controlled products must:

    (a) be a registered producer evidenced by a Meat Board registration number;

    (b) complete the prescribed application form and supply all required details on such form;

    (c) Attach required documentation to the application form and;

    (d) Pay prescribed levies as determined by applicable notice in the Government Gazette.

3.1.2 Manner of submitting an application for livestock export permit

3.1.2.1 An application for a livestock export permit shall be applied for at the Meat Board Head Office at the Trade and Marketing Division or at Meat Board registered agents in-good-and regular standing. An application for the exportation of livestock shall be lodged in any of the following ways:

(a) through a physical visit and due completion of the prescribed application form by an authorised representative of the exporter;

(b) through an acceptable and traceable electronic means of communication submitted to an authorised official of the Meat Board of Namibia including but not limited to email and fax;

(c) the application form shall stipulate the quantity and type of livestock required to be exported (cattle, sheep, goats, or pigs) and the purpose of such livestock (breeding, farming, etc. and other required attributes – tolly, heifer, cow, bull, etc);

(d) The application form shall include details of the name, address and contact details of the exporter, the border or port to be used as well as the loading station in Namibia by the location of livestock such farm name and district as well as the destination station by location such as abattoir name and district in the destination country;

(e) Any electronic interface between the Meat Board and applicants shall serve as an equal platform of submission;

(f) An application shall be lodged at least 48 hours (excluding weekends) before the undertaking of exports in order to allow ample time for the consideration and approval of such permit. The burden of ensuring that an application has reached the relevant authority shall rest with the permit applicant;

(g) The application for livestock permit shall be deemed complete if and once all the required documents have been attached to the prescribed application form and that application form has been effectively submitted to the Meat Board by the applicant or their authorised representative(s).

3.1.3 Assessment of livestock export permit applications

3.1.3.1 Permit applications for livestock exports will be approved upon the following conditions:

(a) The full completion of the application form with the signature of the applicant or their authorised representative(s); (

b) The attachment of a valid export permit obtained by the exporter from the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) in Namibia specifying the name and address of the exporter, the nature and quantity of livestock to be exported;

(c) In case of breeding livestock, the attachment of an Export Authorisation issued by the Registrar of Livestock Improvement in terms of section 16 of the Livestock Improvement Act, Act No. 25 of 1977;

(d) In case of stud livestock, the attachment of authorisation to export from the Namibia Stud Breeders Association (NSBA);

(e) The attachment of a valid veterinary import permit issued by the veterinary authorities in the importing country to the importer of livestock;

(f) The attachment of an effective proof of payment of all applicable Meat Board levies where the applicant does not have an account or where the applicant’s account is not in good-standing. The effectiveness of the proof of payment must be confirmed with the Meat Board Finance Division;

(g) The prospective permit holder must not have been suspended or de-registered on any producer number to which they are connected;

(h) Except where MBN agents raise an application, the applicant must be the de facto owner of the subject animals whether or not the applicant is a natural person;

(i) The invoice for the sale of animals must be attached to the prescribed application form for the purposes of determining the nature of animals and the applicability of levies under the Meat Industry Act, Act No. 12 of 1981 and section 54 of the Customs and Excise Act, Act No. 20 of 1998;

(j) The permit shall be subjected to a validity of seven (7) ordinary days from the date of issue.

(k) The Meat Board has the power to approve or disapprove an application for a permit in terms of section 10 (1) (r) Meat Industry Act, Act No. 12 of 1981.

3.1.4 Collection of Issued Permits

3.1.4.1 It is the duty of the permit holder or their authorised representative to ensure that the Meat Board Export permit is collected from the Meat Board before loading the consignment of livestock. The collection of permits from the Meat Board shall be done in the following manner:

(a) Physical collection by the permit holder or their authorised representative at the Meat Board or at Meat Board agents;

(b) Sending an authorised courier service company to the Meat Board to collect the permit(s);

(c) A scanned permit shall not be counted as a valid permit (except where authorised at the discretion of Border Management) for the purpose of export of livestock as Border Management will require the original permit. This places the important responsibility of ensuring that the driver of the vehicle conveying livestock should be in possession of a permit as contemplated in section 10 of the Meat Industry Act, Act No. 12 of 1981 (as amended).

3.1.5 Receipting of livestock export permits

3.1.5.1 The receipting of livestock export permits shall be done in the following manner:

(a) Upon arrival at the point of exit (border), the driver of the vehicle conveying livestock shall produce a valid Meat Board livestock export permit

(b) The Meat Board official at the border shall verify that the permit is designated for such border and that the quantity and type of livestock loaded on the vehicle is appropriate. A permit receipt shall not be issued for any quantity of livestock exceeding that which is specified on the issued permit and a substitution of the type of livestock shall not be permitted;

(c) The Meat Board official shall cause an electronic entry of the quantity and type of animals actually exported consequent from a physical count and verification of livestock and issue a Permit Receipt from the Meat Board Producer System (MPS) accordingly;

(d) Where the MPS is not accessible for any reason, a physical permit receipt shall be issued to the exporter upon verification of the quantity and type of livestock;

(e) The Border official shall also verify all other details of the exporter and the consignment to ensure compliance with permit conditions and law;

(f) The Border official shall enter a manual entry on a border control sheet and file all the documents on that record for onward weekly transmission to Border Management at Head Office.

(g) The border officials shall prepare a border control sheet with all entries at the end of the week specifying the name of exporters, permit numbers, actual quantities exported, their loading and destination districts and locations as well as the name of the border official. Such weekly control sheets shall be consolidated into a monthly control sheet at the end of each month and sent to the Head Office.

3.1.6 Cancellation of Livestock Export Permits

3.1.6.1 A livestock export permit held by the exporter is the property of the Meat Board and shall be cancelled in the following cases:

(a) Where the exporter has changed their intention to undertake the export due to any reason and notifies the Meat Board to effect cancellation;

(b) Where it comes to the attention of the Meat Board that wrong, false, inappropriate or improper information whatsoever has been the basis of the permit issuance;

(c) Where a permit has not been utilised within the validity period and the exporter has not indicated the intention to extend the validity period of the permit;

(d) Where a permit holder’s conduct violates any permit condition and;

(e) Where a ban on livestock exports has been imposed by the Directorate of Veterinary Services for any reason and Meat Board permits have not yet been used at the time of the ban The Meat Board may refund the permit holder such funds as deemed equitable to the permit holder upon cancellation of a permit.

3.1.7 Amendment of Livestock Export Permits

3.1.7.1 A livestock export permit is issued based on the information available at the time of raising assessing the application. An amendment of a permit shall be effected by resetting the permit on the MPS. A permit may be amended in the following circumstances:

(a) Where any detail except the producer number and species of the permit need to be corrected in accordance with the change in intention of the permit holder;

(b) Where a mistake in the particulars of the permit does not in the opinion of the Meat Board warrant the cancellation of the permit but can be merely corrected and;

(c) Where a date extension is required, provided the permit has not expired and the permit has not yet been cancelled.

3.1.8 Invoicing of Permits

3.1.8.1 Once permits and their original attachments have been remitted by Border Management to Head Office (which shall be done on a daily basis), they shall be invoiced by the Finance Division of the Meat Board of Namibia in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures for Levy Management determined by the Division from time to time. The invoice shall be based on the actual quantities receipted in accordance with the existing standard values published annually by the Meat Board of Namibia.