By McPherse Thompson, Staff Reporter
Moore
EXECUTIVE MEMBERS of the Customs Brokers Association of Jamaica (CBAJ) will be asking Allison Moore, the Commissioner of Customs, to provide them with details about the pace of the modernisation of the revenue agency when they meet with her today.
The CBAJ has complained about a drastic slow-down in services at all the island's ports of entry, primarily because a number of senior Customs officers have either been transferred or their posts made redundant. Up to June, more than 100 Customs officers had lost their jobs in a major shake-up of the Customs Department, following a new recruitment drive under the Public Sector Modernisation Programme.
Customs Department officials were not available for comment on the CBAJ's complaints, Friday. However, a news release issued on behalf of the CBAJ, said "the current stage of the Customs modernisation programme is having a disastrous impact on the level of service meted out to the importing public."
The CBAJ said the redundancy exercise had resulted in a drastic slow-down in services at all ports of entry in Kingston and Montego Bay, as well as at Customs House, the Department's headquarters at Newport East, Kingston.
"As a result," the release said, "custom brokers are facing further delays in the clearing and delivery of goods to clients in an efficient and timely manner."
The CBAJ said that while it fully supported the modernisation programme, "the transfer and dismissal of these senior and experienced members of staff" was having a serious effect on their level of service to clients.
At the same time, the CBAJ has asked the importing public "to hold strain until the Commissioner of Customs delivers a status report."
