NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024 6 to the stellar contributions from the awardees. This was another initiative that was well-received and served to enhance the Customsto-business relations of the JCA, as it fostered an environment of trust and appreciation. PURPOSEFUL BORDER PROTECTION COLLABORATIONS A key mandate of the JCA is that of protecting our nation’s borders. To achieve this mandate, the JCA has engaged in numerous operations and initiatives with various arms of law enforcement and other MDAs, adopting a “whole of government” and collaborative approach. This type of engagement has proven to be effective, allowing for sharing of various resources and best practices. The Agency’s engagements will continue and will adapt as necessary to suit the fast-changing environment in which criminal elements operate. In this vein, the JCA and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will grant both entities access to INTERPOL’s pool of global criminal data and access to records of 195 countries globally. Commissioner Ricketts Walker highlighted the Agency’s thrust at the signing of the MOU, stating “access to these systems will strengthen the Customs intelligence and risk-based targeting approach, which is crucial to preventing crimes related to cross-border trade”. She also emphasised the purposefulness of the partnership with the JCF, noting that the JCA’s longstanding partnership with the JCF has proven to be mutually beneficial, and highlighted the need to continue the collaboration as it will serve to provide far greater results in stemming organised and transnational crimes. The JCA also continues to collaborate with the WCO and its Members to build capacity and share best practices, through the use and development of targeted Customs tools and instruments, and shared intelligence and data, in a bid to strengthen its response to border threats. One instance of this is the recent workshop that the JCA participated in, which was facilitated by the WCO for the Agency in August 2023 on risk management, one of the driving principles of the Agency. MODERNISATION OF CUSTOMS LEGISLATION As a part of our modernisation efforts, and in response to feedback from the Agency’s stakeholders, the JCA is in the process of repealing and replacing the Customs Act, 1941. During this process the Agency has been very purposeful in our engagements with our many stakeholders and has afforded them an opportunity to provide their feedback via robust consultative sessions. The process has been successful thus far, reflecting a Customs Act that represents both Customs and our stakeholders. The Bill is currently before the Houses of Parliament. COMMITMENT TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT As a signal of the JCA’s commitment to quality and continuous improvement, to both our internal and external stakeholders, the Agency embarked on an ambitious bid to attain ISO 9001: 2015 Quality Management Systems certification. The journey was a challenging but fruitful one, which saw the JCA engaging with our stakeholders in new and improved ways, demanding improvements in decision making strategies, procedures and processes, including communication protocols and stakeholder management. On April 18, 2023, the JCA became the first Englishspeaking Customs administration to receive this prestigious international accreditation. The JCA views engagement with all our stakeholders as being critical to achieving our mandates. The Agency, as demonstrated by our ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems accreditation, along with other numerous initiatives, is dedicated to continuously reassessing our stakeholder engagement strategies and quickly adapting to meet the demands of our ever-evolving landscape, to ensure they remain effective and relevant. We are committed to optimising Custom-to-Business partnerships and actioning relevant feedback. As a key enabler of national development, and protector of our borders, the Agency is dedicated to playing our role in helping Jamaica become “the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business.” INT’L CUSTOMS DAY & CUSTOMS WEEK 2024 FEATURE
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