BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN his address to junior officers of the St. Kitts-Nevis Customs and Excise Department, the Comptroller with responsibility for Port Operations Terry Adams stressed the importance of legislation and strategy in ensuring the continued efficiency of the Department.
Adams, also a facilitator at the 6th Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) Basic Training Course training course, told SKNVibes that knowledge of the various legislations including statutory rules and orders relevant to customs is critical as it enables officers to “understand the procedures and responsibilities as it relates to their job”.
He added that at the end of the course, officers would be expected to operate within the law at their various placements.
“What we are doing is to widen the knowledge of junior Customs officers as it directly relates to their training and legislation. The Customs Department is a law enforcement agency of the government and this is a fact that is often misunderstood.
Most persons believe that the Department only collects revenue for the government, but it is much more than that. Customs Department is the government’s primary agency as it relates to legislation in relation to border control and protection.
“Therefore officers must know the role, function and area of responsibility if they are going to function in an effective Customs environment. When one arrives in a customs area, it is prescribed by Law that the Customs Department has full jurisdiction there. Customs have wider power than any other agency in the area of border control.”
Adams said that the strategy involved in the daily routine of the Department plays an essential role in maintaining revenue collection for the island.
He added that since the government “depends on Customs for 50-60% of total revenue”, it is necessary for strategy to involve policy makers, adding that there must be total collaboration with all stakeholders to allow the Department to be more efficient in its functions.
The eight-week training course is also expected to focus on other areas including prohibited and restricted goods; situation diffusion; cargo report, processing and warehousing; tariff classification; invoicing; time management; conflict resolution and customer service.
