NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023 29 CUSTOMS WEEK 2023 1 Importersmust make an accurate declarationof the contents of their shipment, and submit proper invoices toCustoms, to avoidor reducedelays. 2 Shipments requiring you to pay Customs duties and taxes are cleared on a Customs Goods Declaration, known as an IM4 or IMS4. Ask your Clearing Agent to provide your Customs Declaration, Customs Assessment Notice and Customs Receipt, once duties and taxes are paid. Where your Clearing Agent may not be able to provide the IM4 or IMS4, request your Customs Goods Declaration Registration Number or C-Number, which can be used to verify your payments. 3 Where applicable, importers must apply for the requisite permission, permits and/or licenses, from the relevant Ministry or Border Regulatory Agency, before importing or shipping items. 4 By law, passengers must declare to the Customs Officer, if they are in possession of US Ten Thousand (US$10,000.00) andmore (or its equivalent), andprovide documentary evidence of the source of funding. 5 Air passengers, if available, present your Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN) to the Customs Officer at the airport, if you have unaccompanied shipment; this will prevent or reduce delays when clearing your shipment at the point of clearance. 6 Items exported temporarily for repairs or commercial use, must first be registeredwith Jamaica Customs, using an Electronic Customs Declaration-EX2. Re-imported items which are upgraded, altered, or replaced may attract Customs Duty. 7 Charity organisations must ensure that Certificates of Registration are valid or up to date, before undertaking clearance. 8 You may use the ‘Appointment System’ instituted by port operators and warehouses in order to prevent or reduce wait time. Also, make use of the door-to-door delivery services offered by some agents and port operators, where possible. 9 Remember: adherence to all Customs-related requirements is necessary for the efficient processing and clearance of goods. 10 #TellUs … report any illicit activities at our borders/ports of entry. Call Crime Stop at 311. For information, visit the JCA’s website and our social media platforms. Contact us by telephone at: 876-922-5140-8 or email: public.relations@jca.gov.jm. Jamaica Customs: reminders and clearance tips digitalisation of all its processes with priority given to those process that impact export. An example was the digitalisation of the product analysis form, which has significantly sped up theprocessof product analysis andassessment for compliance tothecriteria of the respective trade agreements. WORKING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH JAMAICA CUSTOMS AGENCY (JCA) Working in close collaborationwith Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), we have been able to accomplish the use of Electronic Certificate of Origin (eCoO) that is ratified by COTED. The JCAhas beenmagnificent in their development andmanagement of our main transactional tool JSWIFT, which could easily rank as one of the largest IT projects undertaken in Jamaica or perhaps the Caribbean; doing for all Border Regulatory Agencies (BRAs) what it does for the TBL. JSWIFT has helped the TBL to improve its efficiency levels, particularly as it relates to turnaround time for the application of licences and certifications, much to the satisfaction of our clients. Through continued reform in our operations and collaborative efforts withother BRAs theTBLwill continue to innovateandstrengthen its support for Jamaica’s push to growexports as an imperative. Abigthanks toJamaica Customs Agency for their technical support and for the significant responsibility they shoulder in rolling out JSWIFT and other supporting initiatives. Thanks also to the leadership provided by the MIIC- “Jamaica’s BusinessMinistry”which has allowed us tounleashour creativity insupporting its drive for greater exports. Contributed by the Trade Board Limited GROWTH CONTINUED FROM 27
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUzNTI=