International Customs Day & Week 2022

NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2022 5 PLEASE SEE SIGHT , 7 The Maritime Authority of Jamaica recognizes the leadership of the Jamaica Customs Agency as they assiduously pursue their mandate to facilitate trade in Jamaica, and for their contribution to national development and the protection of the Jamaican society, while keeping abreast of, and implementing modern processes in their delivery of excellent customer service. WHAT WE DO 24/7Ship and megayacht registration / Ship safety and security inspection / Marine pollution prevention / Regulation of bunkering and ancillary services to ships / Training oversight and certification of crew www.maritimejamaica.com The Office Centre Building, 2nd Floor 12 Ocean Boulevard, Kingston, Jamaica Tel: 876-967-1060-5 / 876-967-1087 • Email: maj@jamaicaships.com Messages I T IS my privilege to join the Jamaica Customs Agency in commemorating International Customs Day 2022. As we ob- serve this day, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) offers all of us a challenge through the theme: ‘Scaling up Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem’. The challenge is three-pronged: • Scale up • Embrace • Build True, COVID-19 has brought un- told hardships across the world, but it is an ill wind that blows no good. The onset of this disease and its many nuances over the last 24 months have spurred you to scale up and build a data ecosystem of which you can justifiably be proud. We have had to move decisively to engage with technology that we previously viewed as optional. Even as the Government of Jamaica was ensuring health and safety during these months, we have had to in- itiate ways to allow our business processes to be effective and en- sure efficiency in dealing with our stakeholders. Simply put, we have had to scale up. The theme, as a call to action, demands that we enhance how we do business. You have already made quantum leaps to reflect what is being undertaken by first- world countries with far greater resources than us. I commend you for the digital initiatives al- ready implemented that are en- abling the public sector to serve better – for example, the Jamaica Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT) – a collaboration with our Border Regulatory Agencies (BRAs) – that creates a single ecosystem which is improving trade locally and internationally. JSWIFT is an important step in the right direction, as this single access point allows for submitting applications for Licences, Permits, Certificates and other regulatory requirements (LPCO); for upload- ing supporting documentation, for tracking transactions, electronic payments and real-time notifica- tions. The Trade Board Limited, an agency of the MIIC, has already been onboarded to JSWIFT, allow- ing us to quickly and efficiently process electronic certificates of origin, import and export licences for motor vehicles, machines and other related commodities, as well as import and export permits for certain commodities. I also commend you for the im- provements to the ASYCUDA sys- tem. Here again, two agencies of MIIC – JAMPRO and the Department of Cooperatives and Friendly Societies – have taken advantage of the facility to improve the ease of doing business. I know there are plans to sig- nificantly increase the number of government agencies which are part of JSWIFT and ASYCUDA – Pesticides Control Authority from the Ministry of Health; Veterinary Services Division to obtain Export Phytosanitary and Fumigation Certificates at the Ministry of Agriculture; Hazardous Substance Regulatory Authority, again from my ministry, as well as another 12 agencies in Phase 2 of the project to fully digitise services related to cross-border trade for Border Regulatory Agencies. Implementing all of this, while the world battles a raging pandemic, speaks to the visionary leader- ship and committed team at the Customs Agency. All of these digital systems to- gether have been supporting how you collect and safeguard duties; how you control the flow of goods Never lose sight of the agency’s mission Hon Dr Norman Dunn Minister of State Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce CUSTOMS WEEK