The Anguilla Customs Department has revolutionised its delivery services whereby bulk imported goods are allowed into the island with little or no inspection of containers thereby making it quicker, easier and more efficient for goods to get on the supermarket shelves for public consumption. This is a new feature of the island’s upgraded Customs services under the just-introduced ASYCUDA Risk Management System 4.2.2.
Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Travis Carty, spoke about his department’s new initiatives at a joint press conference and meeting of his top leadership team on Monday, February 24. The event was to announce the Customs new and upgraded interactive website: customs.gov.ai, and the new way in which trans-border importation of containerised goods are handled.
“As part of our modernisation effort, in the 2st century, Customs Departments all over the world are now forced to provide service-oriented programmes at professional standards,” he informed the gathering which included Premier Victor Banks, Minister of Finance. “We not only have to modernise and reform our efforts, but we also have to listen to our key stakeholders in rendering the best service that we can. We in Anguilla chose to offer ICT as a service solution to provide quality and efficient service to the trade community, the Ministry of Finance and other Government agencies.”
The Comptroller of Customs continued: “This is big deal and something that is in line with the Safe Framework of Standards of the World Trade Organisation which speaks to securing and facilitating international trade. This is also in line with the Revised International Convention (appendix number 7) which clearly states that in order for the Customs to truly provide service, we have to apply just-in-time technology.
“Today marks the beginning of a journey, not only for the Government of Anguilla’s Customs Department, and Ministry of Finance, but for Anguilla in general. Today, the first step to becoming competitive in international trade starts with the implementation of the latest version of AYSCUDA which is 4.2.2.
“Some of the benefits that we are getting from this include that it allows us to adopt our Risk Analysis and Risk Management policies. A couple weeks ago we implemented our Selectivity and Risk Assessment Modules. What was happening around Anguilla was that, in terms of persons who had containerised cargo or cargo coming through the borders, Customs had little or no interventions. Containers spotted at different grocery stores in Anguilla received a telephone call from the Customs Department telling them to go head and clear your goods as we have no interest. Containers coming through the port, rather than been sealed and examined by Customs can now, because of our Selectivity Module, be driven through the gates and the consumer can get his or her goods upon arrival in Anguilla. This started a few weeks ago and has been working well.
“The hallmark is that we received a number of calls from traders saying ‘Customs, we have extra stuff in our containers. Can you send an officer to verify?’. This is because we are no longer at the sites. We are only doing it by Risk Assessment and Selectivity. What we will be doing, through a post audit function, is making sure that we are compliant and encourage voluntary compliance that allows us to go into the stores, or records thereafter, to assess if the goods were properly and thoroughly cleared through Customs.
“So automation in Customs in Anguilla, like anywhere else in the world, is a big deal for us. I am proud and I must commend the functional team of my department. We are now in a position where doing business is faster, efficient and of less cost to our key stakeholders like importers…The ASYCUDA World software was provided free of cost to all brokers, importers, agents and exporters. The training was provided by the Anguilla Customs Department over a five-week period. We ensured that every customs broker, and every carrier agent, in Anguilla received the training free of charge. We are not only providing a platform for ease of doing business, but a reduction in cost for importers and exporters to ensure that goods get to their shelves faster – and hopefully at an affordable rate.”
Mr. Carty also spoke about the implementation of other professional standards to improve the services of the Customs Department in Anguilla – in the public interest. A matter, to which he also referred, was the availability of cargo manifests to Customs in Anguilla from ports of origin, thus making it easier to verify goods imported into the island, saving much time and effort.
“We have also implemented our Professional Development Standards and Support Services Unit,” he explained. “This Unit will be primary responsible for a customer service. This means that we will also be looking at the behaviour or the interaction of Customs Officers with key stakeholders in the ASYCUDA World…There is hierarchy of provisions that allows us to do our checks and balances to ensure that we are not only providing speedy trade, but fair and efficient service to the people of Anguilla.”
Mr. Carty added: “I am honoured and proud to be part of an organisation such as our Customs Department. Today is a big deal for us and I am happy that my colleagues are here to support our initiatives. At the Customs Department, we want to do business in a speedy, efficient and equitable manner and ASYCUDA World is going to take us there.”
Meanwhile, the Comptroller of Customs disclosed that last year his department collected 101 million dollars in revenue, an excess of 75 million over the previous year. He was of the view that, with the introduction of the new system, there would even be a greater increase. “One of the hallmarks of the AYSCUDA platform is to maximize Government’s collections,” he confirmed. “We believe that with the advancement of technology, and a system like the AYSCUDA World, it will maximise Government’s revenue.
“The reason is that the Customs Officers will now focus on the Customs function. The big part of ASYCUDA is the DTI (Direct Trader Input) – the Customs brokers, the carrier agents, the importers and the consolidators, like UPS etc, are responsible for entering their data in advance; and the Customs brokers are responsible for the submission of timely declarations to clear their goods. So the onus on clearing goods now rests with the agents and the Customs Department will truly be a facilitator of such a system…’’
Premier Victor Banks thanked the Comptroller of Customs and his senior management team for their work and the implementation of the new technological and policy initiatives. He noted that Customs had always been one of the Government’s agencies which, when it came to the collection of revenue, had always faced certain complaints from the public. He thought that the upgrade in technology would certainly assist in alleviating some of those concerns.
Premier Banks continued: “You spoke about the Selection process, the Trusted Trader and all those programmes we have been talking about for a long time. I think that the ASYCUDA system will facilitate that, and it means that we will have to step up to the plate in terms of the technology. I know that Customs has a broad range of responsibilities for protection of Government’s revenue; border security; and the facilitation of trade. But, in addition, now that we are moving to this new system, one of the concerns must be quality control and the maintenance of the system.”
Mr. Banks added: “If the system goes down, and we have to do our work manually again, we are going to have some challenges. So we have to make sure to continue to have in place the maintenance requirements for the system as well as proper quality control. However, I think we are in a good place, and I want to congratulate all of you. I look forward to the very successful launch – and I expect that the traders and the ordinary customers will understand the benefits of this new system.”
