JOHANNESBURG - SARS commissioner Johnstone Makhubu said cracking down on the illicit economy needs a joint approach and money, a lot of it.
Around R3.6-billion is needed for infrastructure alone.
Makhubu said illicit trade can't be allowed to continue unabated.
"We have made some inroads in terms of sophisticated plants set up to adulterate petrol and cause disease. This is in country illicit trade. We need to deal with both in-country and continental.
"We need to make our borders smart and collaborate with other entities. We need scanning technology. Funding SARS a priority. One scanner costs R180 million; you would need R3.6 billion just to deal with the border issue by putting in scanner infrastructure. But you need an integrated system between various agencies. We realised on our own, we won't find the scourge of illicit trade.
Makhubu said SARS doesn't have enough people to investigate high-profile non-compliance cases.
An issue he said he's ready to take on as he settles into his new office.
Makhubu said the cases they are investigating are complex.
"My view is that we don't have the capacity to investigate all the matters we need to investigate," he said.