ST.JOHN'S Antigua, February 6th 2012 - Honourable Harold Lovell, Minister of Finance, the Economy and Public Administration, announces the appointment of Mr. Raju Boddu to the post of Comptroller of Customs.
Mr. Boddu’s appointment takes effect on 6 February, 2012, for a period of three years.
The new Comptroller previously held the position of Chief Forensic Accountant with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
A native of India, Mr. Boddhu first came to Antigua and Barbuda ten years ago, on loan from the Government of India. He continued to serve this Government at the end of his initial contract, and has worked at both the Customs Division and the Treasury Department during his tenure.
Mr. Boddhu is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and a Certified Fraud Examiner who also holds BSc, MSc and MBA qualifications.
Acceptance speech by Mr. Raju Boddu
Comptroller of Customs
Friday 3rd February, 2012
Ministry of Finance Headquarters
Parliament Drive
I am indeed honoured to be named the Comptroller of Customs. The responsibility to lead the Customs department in these difficult times is indeed an unenviable and Herculean task and I am indeed humbled by the trust reposed in me by the Honourable Prime Minister and the Honourable Finance Minister to take up this new responsibility.
About 10 years ago, the former administration borrowed my services from the government of India. Thus I have the distinction of serving both the administrations and 4 Finance Ministers and by extension, Antigua and Barbuda with utmost diligence and commitment, mostly assisting the government quietly in whatever tasks that were assigned to me - be it in Customs, Treasury Department or otherwise.
Now comes a momentous occasion where a positive challenge is thrown at me to provide a meaningful leadership to the Customs Department. I accept the challenge with utmost humility and commit my self to realize the aspirations of the policy makers and the people alike. My goal is to make Customs administration a vibrant and customer service oriented organization based on principles of inclusivity, reason and level playing field.
The central theme of my administration is going to be people: the people within the customs and the people that are affected by the Customs. I strongly believe, when we take care of our people, their aspirations, emotions and needs by way of establishing equitable systems of communication, consultation and commitment, the revenue will flow automatically in to the Treasury.
I shall look after the interests of my officers and staff and restore in them the lost pride and motivation in the service they are rendering to the Nation, which is by no means a trivial job.
In recent times, I have observed unreasonable and unwarranted aggression towards our importers and business people. I have a feeling that we have forgotten the fact that they are the “Reason” for the existence of Customs Department itself.
I shall be reaching out to our clients….. either small or big to understand and work with their problems and to win back their confidence and facilitate productive trade in the months and years to come.
I shall also be meeting with the other law enforcement agencies like Police, ONDCP, Immigration, Inland Revenue and other government departments to forge a co-operative network to strengthen the fiscal and border security and to synergize the Customs operations.
Let me also make it very clear. I have observed and studied the businesses here for the last 10 years. I have also comprehended the economic and cultural realities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Antigua and Barbuda.
I know the areas of risk in the importation practices of our clients to a large extent that needed immediate attention and corrective action. While striking a reasonable balance between the economic realities and economic expectations, all infractions shall be dealt with a firm hand without fear or favour.
I firmly believe that economic principles applied in developed economies like Canada and the UK will be an abject failure here and we need homegrown strategies to guide us through these difficult times. What we need are not text-book solutions but out of box solutions that will safeguard the economic sovereignty of Antigua and Barbuda.
I call upon my colleagues at Customs with whom I enjoyed excellent relations over the past 10 years, to join me in our task to build a new and modern Customs, the customs Department that delivers.
With all the stakeholders’ involvement and cooperation, Customs will morph into an effective organization pursuing people-friendly and business-friendly policies and procedures. While ensuring the economic security (by way of collecting the revenues correctly and fairly), and physical security (by way of guarding the border posts to prevent any harmful goods and substances), the Customs will be an administration with a human touch.
I give praise and glory to the Heavenly Father for all His mercies and blessings in my life thus far. I am also grateful to my beloved wife; daughter and son for their continued support in my professional work and especially in the challenging situations. I am indebted to my church –Ebenezer Methodist Church- for upholding me and my family in their prayers.
As I take a deep plunge in to the challenge, I request you all to pray the Lord to give me the wisdom and strength to act without fear and favour for the good of the people.
Thank You.
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