Tell us what you want - Commissioner Walker

Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker has encouraged stakeholders in the shipping industry to express their concerns and share their opinions on ways to make Customs better as the department moves towards executive agency status.

Speaking with industry members last week, Commissioner Walker said, "We need to know what are your issues as well as your suggestions as to how you want to see Customs work, so that these processes can be engineered." He added that the Customs department and its stakeholders need to know each other a little better.

He was speaking at the Shipping Association of Jamaica's (SAJ), Zim Integrated Shipping Services Limited-sponsored Lunch and Learn seminar last Wednesday. The seminar was held at the SAJ's Fourth Avenue offices.

Responding to questions as to whether Jamaica Customs can survive as an executive agency when similar agencies have failed in other countries, Commissioner Walker noted that funding will be a key element. He pointed out that the department has learned lessons from others that have failed and, as such, is certain of its survival. In addition to funding from the relevant ministry, Walker noted that Customs will have to become self sufficient.

When asked about the relevance of customs brokers under the new regime, Walker stated that the current operations of the broker makes them inefficient. As such, brokers will need to become more technology driven. "Brokers won't become obsolete in the short term. They will, however, be required to deliver more," he said.

The commissioner said Customs' transitionary year to an executive agency is on schedule for commencement on April 1, as was previously announced.

Stakeholders can expect improvements in the services offered by the Department:

• Current
• Fairly paper-based
• High physical verification
• Reduced physical control focus
• Focus on non-compliance
• Limited Information Communication Technology (ICT) integration
• Greater trade orientation and focus
• Inter-agency cooperation in border management
• Limited post-clearance audit
• Future
• Customer-oriented, account-centric business processes/ increased surveillance and security with faster clearance
• Harmonised and simplified processes
• Intelligence-based focus/'decisions-before-the-border' approach
• Compliance and non-compliance: Flexible solutions for greater voluntary compliance
• Maximum ICT use/e-government strategy
• Stronger strategic trade integration/one-stop shop approach

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services is a global shipping line which has utilised the port of Kingston for the last 38 years. It uses Jamaica as a base for its transshipment operations and operates in Jamaica through its wholly owned agency, Carib Star Shipping. The local agency has been operational since 1989 when it was jointly operated by ZIM and GraceKennedy. It has, however, been fully owned and operated by ZIM since 2005.

The agency is currently under the helm of former sea Captain, Diedrich Suendermann, with Kimani Peterkin as its marketing and transshipment manager to oversee commercial needs locally.

ZIM offers dry, refrigerated and specialised services to and from Jamaica. Its global reach extends shipping services to all continents and its local touch provides the specialised and personal care to its partners and customers.