THE JAMAICA Customs Department is on a drive to recruit quality staff as part of its modernisation effort, reports the Jamaica Information Service, the government's news agency.Alison Moore, chief executive officer and Commissioner of Customs, while addressing the monthly Friday Policy Forum recently at the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) on Old Hope Road, St Andrew said that the department was now 85 per cent staffed and was inviting applications from suitably qualified persons.
Applicants are required to go through a rigorous assessment process, involving an interview by a panel comprising representatives from the private sector, government ministries and departments including the Customs Department; a complete written exercise, and psychometric testing to determine work ethics and integrity among other things.
Noting that the recruitment exercise was comprehensive and in-depth, Miss Moore said, "Sometimes we will interview 100 persons and we end up with probably 30 by the time we short list after the written exercise and the psychometric testing... we have to start the process all over again; it's taking a long time."
As part of the revitalisation effort, Ms. Moore said emphasis was placed on training, where "we looked at change management, team building, customer service, various technical areas and training in supervisory and management techniques."
She said other initiatives to modernise the department and improve operations included the implementation of the Customs Broker Lodgement System, which has allowed Customs brokers to lodge entries from their homes or offices, and the query system, which allows brokers to electronically verify the status of entries.
Ms. Moore told the forum that under the Customs Depart-ment's thrust toward trade facilitation, direct control of bonded warehouses has been abolished.
"We have removed the crown locks and resident officers from private bonded warehouses... so you're free to go into your warehouse [without an officer being present]," she noted.
"This is the sort of partnership and the building of trust between Customs and the private sector. This will be followed up of course, with post auditing."
Turning to the e-payment system, which has been in place since July, the commissioner said that about 30 broker or roughly five per cent, have made use of this facility.
