Procedure

AGENCY: LIVESTOCKAND LIVESTOCK PORDUCTS BOARD OF NAMIBIA (LLPB)

3.2.1 Application for meat and meat products export permit

3.2.1.1 The owner or authorised representative of the entity applying for a permit to export meat and meat products which fall in the domain of controlled products must:

(a) be a registered producer evidenced by a Meat Board registration number of the prospective permit holder;

(b) complete the prescribed application form and supply all required details on such form and; (c) Attach required documentation to the application form.

3.2.2 Manner of submitting an application for meat and meat products export permit

3.2.2.1 An application for a Meat Board permit to export meat and meat products shall only be applied for at the Meat Board Head Office at the Trade and Marketing Division. An application for the exportation of meat and meat products shall be lodged in any of the following manners:

(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 must stipulate the quantity of meat and meat products required to be imported and in the appropriate general category from which the product is derived (cattle, sheep, goat or pig)

(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 by the location of meat and meat products which shall be a DVS approved establishment

(e) Any electronic interface between the Meat Board and applicants shall serve as an equal platform of submission. However, WhatsApp and similar social media platforms shall not serve as official communication channels for the purpose of submitting an application.

(f) An application for export of meat and meat products shall be lodged at least 12 hours (excluding weekends) before the date envisaged for the undertaking of such export. The burden of ensuring that the application has reached the relevant authority shall rest with the permit applicant;

(g) The application for a permit to export meat and meat products 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 assigned person(s)

(h) The approval of the Meat Board shall not be pre-empted by moving the products outside Namibia before Meat Board approval. The exception to this shall be products exported on a Meat Board in-transit permit to a cold storage facility in other country for the purpose of further distribution to other countries which are the final destinations. In such exceptional cases, the in-transit permit holder shall make an application for a Meat Board permit before moving such products to their final destinations.

(i) No meat and meat products of Namibian origin shall be exported to any destination without a Meat Board permit being obtained in advance of such export. Exporting meat and meat products from Namibia or other locations outside Namibia where such products are kept for the purpose of being exported as a Namibian product without a Meat Board permit constitutes an offence in terms of the Meat Industry Act as far as such export is deemed to be a Namibian export and shall be punishable by law.

(j) Exports to Norway under the existing GSP and SACU/EFTA arrangements shall be subject to completion of the prescribed application form and Norway Quota SOPs (as amended), shall govern such exports.

(k) Exports to Norway, Europe or any other destination proceeding from any destination are required to obtain a Meat Board permit whether they are being exported under a quota arrangement or not.

3.2.3 Assessment of meat and meat products export permit applications

3.2.3.1 Permit applications for meat and meat products export shall be approved upon the following conditions:

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

(b) The attachment of a valid veterinary export permit issued to the exporter by the DVS of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform in Namibia specifying the name and address of the exporter and importer and the nature and quantity of meat and meat products to be exported and certifying that the consignment meets health requirements for the purpose of export;

(c) The meat must proceed from an DVS export-approved establishment/facility;

(d) The attachment of a valid veterinary import permit issued by the veterinary authorities in the importing country to the importer .of meat and meat products;

(e) The applicant must not have been suspended or de-registered on any producer number to which they are connected;

(f) The permit shall be subjected to a validity period of seven working days from the date of issue

(g) The permit shall be subject to Meat Board of Namibia Import and Export Quality Control Conditions for Meat and Meat Products as well as conditions printed on the reverse page of the issued permit.

(h) The attachment of a certificate of non-manipulation for exports proceeding from a foreign port.

3.2.4 Collection of issued permits

3.2.4.1 It is the duty of the exporter of meat and meat products to ensure that the Meat Board export permit is collected from the Meat Board or its assigned persons before loading the consignment of animals. The collection of permits from the Meat Board shall be done in the following manner:

(a) Physical collection by the permit holder or their assigned persons at the Meat Board

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

(c) A scanned permit shall be counted as a valid permit for the purpose of export of meat and meat products as Border Management. The driver of the vehicle conveying meat and meat products should be in possession of a permit as contemplated in section 10 of the Meat Industry Act, Act No. 12 of 1981 (as amended).

(d) Meat Board permits relating to Norway Quota and Quota certificates shall be treated in the manner stipulated (c) above. Scanned documents shall suffice for border or port officials of the Meat Board for the purpose of export of meat and meat products.

(e) Where a permit is issued in urgent circumstances while a vehicle lies in wait at the border, the Trade Division shall provide a scan of such permit to Border Management and the official stationed at the respective border but shall make available the original for collection by Border Management.

(f) A consignment that is stopped at the border on account of permit discrepancies or the absence of a Meat Board permit shall be released at the discretion of Border Management in consideration of circumstances including legal compliance with a view to facilitating trade and avoiding loss of perishable items in the consignment.

3.2.5 Receipting of meat and meat products export permits

3.2.5.1 The receipting of meat and meat products export permits shall be done in the following manner:

(a) Upon arrival at the point of exit (border or port), the driver of the vehicle conveying meat and meat products shall produce a valid Meat Board meat and meat products export permit

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

(c) The Meat Board official shall cause an electronic entry of the nature and quantity of meat and meat products actually exported consequent from a physical verification of meat and meat products 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 importer upon verification of consignment;

(e) The Border official shall also verify all other details of the exporter and the consignment to ensure compliance with permit conditions (printed overleaf the permit) and Meat Board of Namibia Import and Export Quality Control Conditions for Meat and Meat Products.

(f) The Border official shall perform 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 month 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.

3.2.6 Cancellation of meat and meat products export permits

3.2.6.1 A meat and meat products 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. The amount paid in respect of levies shall be refunded in full in such circumstance;

(b) Where it comes to the attention of the Meat Board that wrong, false, inappropriate or improper information whatsoever has been the basis of 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. The amount paid in respect of levies shall be forfeited in such circumstance;

(d) Where the permit holder’s conduct violates any permit condition including Meat Board of Namibia Import and Export Quality Control Conditions for Meat and Meat Products.

(e) Where a ban (evidenced by a veterinary notification) on meat and meat products exports has been imposed by the DVS for any reason and Meat Board permits have not yet been used at the time of the ban.

3.2.6.2 The Meat Board may refund the permit holder such funds as deemed equitable upon cancellation of a valid permit. However, no refund shall be given for unused permits not cancelled before the expiry of their validity period.

3.2.7 Amendment of Meat and Meat Products Export Permits

3.2.7.1 A meat and meat products export permit is issued based on the information available at the time of raising and 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 of the permit needs 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;

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

3.2.8 Invoicing of meat and meat products permits

3.2.8.1 There shall be no levies payable for the export of meat and meat products. However, meat exporters not compliant with any Meat Board levies shall not be allowed to export meat and meat products except by special valid written approval of the substantive Chief Executive Officer of the Meat Board in respect of payment arrangements made by the exporter.