The nation’s customs officers are being encouraged to always adhere to the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) Code of Conduct as they perform their daily tasks.

Making the call, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr Norman Dunn, said they are doing “valiant work” to keep “our borders safe”, and to improve the ease of doing business.

“You have been placed in a critical area of service, and there are high expectations of you, and I charge you to maintain the highest standards of integrity in your duties as you serve the public and the business community,” Dr Dunn said while addressing a recent virtual church service to kick off Customs Week. International Customs Day was observed on Wednesday, January 26 and Jamaica will officially mark Customs Week in February.

The event was held under the theme ‘Scaling up Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem.” The State Minister said despite challenges to function in the coronavirus (COVID-19) era, technology has caused businesses to remain buoyant, and it must now become commonplace.

“We have to move decisively to engage with technology that was previously viewed as optional. Look at the very way that we are worshipping today. Even as the Government was ensuring health and safety during these months, we have had to initiate ways to allow our business processes to be effective; we have had to scale up,” Dr Dunn said.

He also lauded the JCA for the “digital initiatives” that have been implemented to enable improved service for the public sector, such as the Jamaica Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT), which has transformed local and international trade.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Customs, Velma Ricketts Walker, said the agency has made “significant strides” in the area of digital technology, in a thrust to “enhance our overall service delivery, and customer experience,” she said.

The Jamaica Customs has some specific mandates: the equitable collection of revenue, protection of Jamaica’s borders against illicit imports, and the facilitation of trade by assessing and collecting customs duties, fees, and penalties due on imports, and interdicting and seizing contraband, including narcotics and illegal drugs.

Responsibilities also include processing passengers, baggage, cargo and mail; detecting and apprehending persons engaged in fraudulent practices designed to circumvent customs-related laws; protecting Jamaica’s industries, labour and intellectual property rights by enforcing the country’s laws intended to prevent illegal trade practices, including provisions related to quotas; enforcing the Anti-Dumping Act; and providing Customs Records for copyrights, patents and trademarks.

The agency has the vision to build a modern customs administration, delivering excellent service, fostering compliance and contributing to national development and protection of society. It also has a mission to facilitate trade, protect the country’s borders, optimise revenue collection through collaborative border management and delivery of high-quality customer service, and develop and maintain a team of motivated professional and competent staff.