THE EDITOR, Sir:
IT APPEARS that every time changes are made at customs the services to the importers and customs brokers are severely impaired. While this is generally the case in the civil service, the most recent being the land tax mess, the Customs Department, we were told, was reorganised to bring improved management to this department to be able to plan and implement changes with the least disruption to the delivery of services.
The regrettable thing is, customs always seems to be blaming the brokers and importers for its failures to improve and deliver services. This indicates that customs is yet to accept the responsibilities to improve the service, and regard criticism and feedback as adversarial.
In the most recent exchange the brokers complained that instead of 48 hours, it is now taking up to five days to process entries lodged at Customs House. In response Customs announced that it is open on Sunday to accept entries for processing. This is downright disingenuous or silly because the obvious solution is to process the entries already submitted more expeditiously which may require customs to work overtime and not for the brokers to submit entries on Sunday or on overtime basis.
The custom spokesperson also claims that entries were being processed in 32 hours, while the brokers seem to be satisfied with the norm of 48 hours. The Customs Department, as in the past, is less then forthcoming with the truth in these matters and it's obvious that actual processing is taking much more than the 48 hours that brokers accept under normal circumstances.
If customs continues to fail to manage changes, downplay the problems created, and worse, seek to blame brokers and importers for the problems, the department will continue to be hampered by a culture of denial and blaming its customers for its problems. This will indeed inhibit credibility and positive attitude to improved services.
I am, etc.,
JOHN BUNTING
P.O. Box 1080
Kingston 8
