Procedure

AGENCY: LIVESTOCKAND LIVESTOCK PORDUCTS BOARD OF NAMIBIA (LLPB)

3.4.1 Application for meat and meat products import permit

3.4.1.1 Any person applying for a permit to import meat and meat products which fall within the definition of controlled products into the Republic of Namibia must:

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

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

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

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

3.4.2 Manner of submitting an application for meat and meat products import permit

3.4.2.1 An application for a meat and meat products import permit shall be applied for at the Meat Board Head Office at the Trade and Marketing office. An application for the importation of meat and meat products shall be lodged as follows:

(a) Through a physical visit and due completion of the prescribed application form by the importer or their authorised representative(s);

(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 shall stipulate the nature and type of meat required to be imported;

(d) The application form shall stipulate details of the name, address and contact details of the importer, identify the loading station in the exporting country and the location of the consignment by location and district;

(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 prior to undertaking of imports 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 primary correspondent with the Meat Board shall be the importer. The Meat Board will not be placed in a position to correspond with the exporter except where the Meat Board intends to investigate any information related to the application. It is the duty of the applicant to ensure compliance in the country where meat and meat products are sourced;

(h) An application for meat and meat products import 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).

3.4.3 Assessment of meat and meat products permit applications

3.4.3.1 Permit applications for the importation of meat and meat products shall 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 veterinary import 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 attachment of a valid veterinary import permit issued by the veterinary authorities in the exporting country to the exporter of meat and meat products. A single veterinary permit shall only be used on one Meat Board permit;

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

(e) The permit shall be subjected to a validity period of thirty (30) ordinary days from the date of issue;

(f) The permit shall be subject to Meat Board of Namibia Import and Export Quality Control Conditions for Meat and Meat Products.

3.4.4 Collection of issued meat and meat products import permits

3.4.4.1 It is the duty of the importer of livestock to ensure that the Meat Board meat and meat products import permit is collected from the Meat Board or their authorised representative(s) before the arrival of the consignment at the border. 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 person(s) 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 not be counted as a valid permit for the purpose of export of live animals as Border Management will require the original permit. This places the important responsibility of ensuring that the driver of the vehicle conveying animals 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) Where a permit is issued in urgent circumstances while a vehicle is stopped 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 Border Management officials when required.

(e) 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 due associated with perishables.

3.4.5 Receipting of meat and meat products import permits

3.4.5.1 The receipting of meat and meat products import permits shall be done in the following manner:

(a) Upon arrival at the point of entry (border), the driver of the vehicle conveying meat and meat products shall produce a valid Meat Board meat and meat products import 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 imported 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 importer 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; Any excess in the quantity of meat and meat products in relation to the permitted quantity shall be investigated upon the arrival of consignment at final destination. If the quantity in excess is readily verifiable at the border mitigation measures permissible include the application for a substantive additional permit for the additional quantity or the amendment of the existing permit provided that the occurrence is a genuine mistake and the new application’s quantity is within the DVS-certified quantity. For the purpose of this clause, any mistakes and irregularities within the supply chain of the concerned consignment shall be imputed on the permit holder and any penalties shall be for the account of the same;

(g) The border officials shall prepare a border control sheet with all entries at the end of the month specifying the name of importers, permit numbers, actual quantities imported, their loading and destination districts and locations as well as the name of the border official.

3.4.6 Cancellation of meat and meat products import permit

3.4.6.1 A meat and meat products import 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 import due to any reason and notifies the Meat Board to effect cancellation before the expiry of the permit. In such circumstance, the full amount of levies paid shall be refundable to the permit holder;

(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 before the expiry of such permit. In such circumstance, the permit holder shall forfeit levies paid in connection with such permit;

(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 and;

(f) Where a substantial portion of the consignment is not in compliance with permit conditions (printed overleaf of the permit).

3.4.7 Amendment of meat and meat products import permit

3.4.7.1 A meat and meat products import 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.

3.4.8 Invoicing of permits

3.4.8.1 Once meat and meat products permits and permit receipts have been remitted by Border Management to Head Office, 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 Finance Division from time to time. The invoice shall be based on the actual quantities receipted in accordance levies determined and notified annually by the Meat Board in the Government Gazette.

3.4.8.2 Any shortfall in the amount paid based on pro forma invoices shall be corrected on receipt of the tax invoices accompanying the meat import permit and permit documentation from the border or port.