NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2025 46 ON FRIDAY, October 25, 2024, the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) hosted the 5th staging of its Wellness Expo, at the Cruise Ship Pier, Berth 2 – Port Handlers Warehouse in Montego Bay, St James, as a part of its Month of Wellness activities, celebrated under the theme: Our Health, Our Wealth: Body, Mind & Soul and its sub-theme Synchronising Life’s Beats. The exclusive staff-only expo brought together Government and private sector entities, as well as health and beauty service providers as part of the agency’s thrust to cater to all eight dimensions of wellness for its most important resource – its employees, and to ensure they can be catered to as much as they give their best in service to the Jamaican populace. Members of the Human Resource Management and Development Division and JCA’s Wellness Committee, shared with the live broadcast crews of Fame 95FM and Radio Jamaica 94FM, the importance of initiatives such as these, and the other activities undertaken by the agency, that align with the eight dimensions of wellness – spiritual, emotional, occupational, intellectual, environmental, financial, social and physical. In recent years, the JCA has taken a more holistic approach towards staff welfare to ensure there is improved work-life balance, and that the whole individual is well. In doing this, the agency has implemented several initiatives, including its Employee Assistance Programme, Peer Support Network, Spiritual Wellness activities, Customs Moves physical exercise (in support of the Jamaica Moves thrust), social activities, multifaceted training programmes and others, some in partnership with the public and private sectors. CEO/Commissioner of Customs, Velma Ricketts Walker, CD, JP, while undertaking an interview during the outside broadcast, shared that though the focus is on individual wellness, the agency seeks to ensure staff members are well together, which will inevitably transcend to wellness for those served and will propel the agency to further find ways to improve its service delivery. She also highlighted that the various dimensions of wellness are critical in fulfilling the mandates of the agency, being trade facilitation, border protection and optimising revenue collection to the benefit of not only direct customers of the agency, but all citizens of Jamaica and our international stakeholders. This year, the staff got the opportunity to benefit from services and products offered by several exhibitors, including: Scotiabank, Sagicor Bank, Registrar General’s Department, Passport Immigration & Citizenship Agency, Forestry Department, Tavitah Spa & Cosmetics, N. Alli’s Beauty Supplies, Perfect Faces by Yaneke, Proactive Lifestyle, DLE Café, Talk About Business Safely – TABS Project, National Council on Drug Abuse, JP Open Doors, Western Regional Health Authority, the National Blood Transfusion Service (Blood Bank) and ATL Automotive. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS DAY/CUSTOMS WEEK FEATURE JCA’S WELLNESS EXPO IN WESTERN JAMAICA BRINGS TOGETHER GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR ENTITIES In ensuring holistic wellness, exercise is critical and Rushell Headley, Customs Officer, made sure to get her daily dose of exercise in for the day at the Expo. Customs News in Review
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