KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Velma Ricketts Walker, is anticipating Senate approval of the new Customs Act before the end of this fiscal year.

The legislation was passed in the House of Representatives on May 29, 2024, after being reviewed by a Joint Select Committee for approximately 18 months.

“I am happy to share that the Customs Act of 2025 is making its way through the parliamentary process and is currently or will be with the Senate for review in short order. So I am confident that by the end of the fiscal year, we should have a new Customs Act in place,” said Ricketts Walker, who is also the commissioner of customs.

She was speaking during a technical briefing on day one of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade’s Diplomatic Week on Monday. The briefing was held at the ministry in downtown Kingston.

Ricketts Walker noted that the new legislation will replace and repeal the outdated Customs Act of 1941, providing a modern legislative framework that streamlines business operations.

She explained that one concern with the existing Act is the fact that the language is not easily understood.

“I can tell you, as commissioner, sometimes I have to read one provision over and over to make sure I understand completely… to provide guidance. So it is against that background that we knew it was important that the new Customs Act is modern and has language that is easily understood,” she shared.

The commissioner further noted that the new legislation will support a forward-looking economy, providing a legal framework that supports coordination and new business models.

She outlined that it will also include provisions that promote greater accountability among the agency’s staff.

“For example, we are expanding the provision for aggrieved persons so that they can easily and affordably obtain any administrative review or decision by the Jamaica Customs Agency,” the CEO explained.

“We are also making a provision for binding advance ruling. So we’re talking about predictability within the space, whereby persons may obtain binding information or decisions from the agency regarding classification and rules of origin, so that we are able to help our customers, our importers and exporters in understanding the decisions of these rules and give them greater predictability in the space,” Ricketts Walker added.

The proposed new Customs Act comprises just under 300 clauses across 200 pages, with a further 800 pages of schedules, all in a single document.

It is expected to address the complexities of modern trade and commerce, while allowing Jamaica Customs to deliver services in a more streamlined and efficient way.

–         JIS