In one of his usual passionate pleas to his fellow colleagues, Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Travis Carty, called on them to work more diligently as their department moves towards modernising its operations and the digitalisation of the customs process.
The event was the observance of International Customs Day 2016, which had as its theme: “Digital Customs: Progressive Engagement.”
Speaking at an early morning gathering on Tuesday, January 26, the young and influential Head of the Customs Department, in reviewing some of its progressive strategies and engagements, told his colleagues: “To make these things possible, it will require a change of mind-set and a change in each of us…We have to change the way we think. We can’t do something different with the same behaviour and mentality. In 2016, I challenge you to step up and raise your standards. Know what you are about. Don’t just exist in the Customs Department. Make a statement in the Customs Department.”
He continued: “Nothing comes easy. It is easy to complain and blame the Management Team and the Comptroller, the financial situation and the Government, but I challenge you to try the hard part. The hard part is to take ownership for your actions; be accountable for what you have done and hold up to the consequences of your actions. Be professionals and enjoy your relationship with your colleagues and friends. Look at your circles and ensure that they add to your life and not take away. That is the hard part and when you work hard, you reap the benefits; so when we apply the difficult part, coming to work every day will be a blessing… and you will know what it takes to get the job done.”
Chief Minister and Minister of Finance, Mr. Victor Banks, who has responsibility for the Customs Department, commended the officers for looking very smart and resplendent in their white and blue outfits – uplifting the spirit for the task ahead.
“The Customs Department is one of the most important revenue-earning departments in Anguilla over the years,” he stated. “As we move forward into a new dispensation, where Customs will be involved in other ways of revenue collection, training will be very important in making the revenue side and task of Government more efficient and effective. [Last year] Customs exceeded its target collections by 5.6 million dollars and I applaud you.”
Mr. Banks was appreciative of the work of the Customs Department in dealing with the public and the collection of fees and taxes in particular – one of the unfavourable 
positions to be – in as outlined in a poem, published elsewhere in this edition of The Anguillian newspaper, by Customs Officer and emerging poet, Alexis Ryan. “People have a tendency not to want to relieve themselves of their finance for whatever reason,” Banks went on. “It is important that you get the message across to them that by paying their fair share of any tax measure, including Customs duties, that they are contributing to the development of their society. If they don’t do that, it means that they are burdening others to the extent that Government, and other agencies responsible for revenue collection, will have to put in place more measures as a result of persons not pulling their weight.”
Mr. Banks took the opportunity to guarantee his support for the Comptroller of Customs and the work of the department. He said in part: “It is important for you, Customs Officers, to take your responsibility seriously and to understand – whether you appear to be appreciated or not – that you are a very important part in the machinery of Government. You play your part in ensuring the wherewithal for providing the services that the people of your country need and deserve are available; so you have a very important and critical role to play. You must therefore continue to draw from within your inner self for those strengths that will enable you, even in the most difficult circumstances, to face the public in carrying out your job.”
He further said: “The Comptroller and his Management Team continue to passionately present the case for more support for Customs Officers and the job they do. I pledge that I will continue to give him the support he needs—as far as possible because there are competing interests for the finance of Government—to ensure that he gets the job done as a leader in the Customs Department, motivating his officers.”
On the question of improving the work of the department, Mr. Banks stated: “World Customs Day speaks to the issue of digitalisation and progressive engagement…Digitalisation is not a fad. It is a process that will ensure that the delivery of the Customs services is do
ne more effectively. It will enhance your ability to ensure that persons are compliant; enhance your ability to be able to generally regulate the situation within the community as it relates to transmitting messages and data across the various agencies and departments and across the community so that better decisions can be made… It also enables Customs Officers to be more effective in carrying out their functions in revenue collections.”
The programme was chaired by Mr. Glenn Hodge, Deputy Comptroller of Customs.
