Roadtown, Tortola - The senior officers of Her Majesty’s (HM) Customs have taken the first steps towards embracing service delivery reform by participating in a two-day Leadership Seminar sponsored by the BVI Tourist Board.
Senior officers of the Department of Immigration also participated in the March 11-12 workshop, the main purpose of which was to begin the process of developing cohesive and effective leadership teams in both departments. According to the organisers these teams will develop a strategic focus on service delivery within each department and also be focused on assisting the board in improving the level of service delivery throughout the destination in the current challenging economic environment.
Comptroller of Customs Mr. Wade Smith told the Department of Information and Public Relations that the department is always willing to work collaboratively with other Government departments. “We are always willing to participate in various types of trainings which are provided by the Tourist Board because we must work hand in hand with this agency in addition to the Department of Immigration and the Ports Authority,” he said.
He added, “the benefits that come with these types of training will enable officers to develop in a more professional manner which will in turn help us in delivering a better service to the community and the people we serve.”
Mr. Smith further stated that “at the end of this training I want my officers to have a better understanding and appreciation of the tourism product and to have an appreciation of how critical it is to carry out their duties in a professional, effective and efficient manner.”
Business Development Manager for the BVI Tourist Board Mrs. Malcia Smith Hamilton said the board is pleased to participate with Her Majesty’s Customs and the Department of Immigration to improve customer service delivery in the territory. “This Leadership Workshop initiated by the board is the first phase and is intended to get the buy-in and commitment from Customs and Immigration leadership,” she said.
The three levels of maturity- embracing a collaborative approach to leadership; the leadership challenges in changing to a culture of excellence; how communications within departments and throughout the destination can be improved and the development of priority goals and action plans were among the topics that were discussed during the two-day seminar.
The facilitator for the seminar was President and Creative Collaborator of Management Development Resources, Bahamas Mr. Roosevelt Finlayson. Mrs. Smith Hamilton also made a presentation to the 25 participants on the BVI Tourist Board and the tourism product.
Her Majesty’s Customs is committed to providing professional quality service by maximizing the collection of revenue, protecting society by enforcing import and export regulations and facilitating legitimate trade and conducting covert and overt surveillance of the BVI’s waters.
British Virgin Islands News