Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Hon Zavia Mayne, says the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) is investing heavily in the expansion of its digital ecosystem to provide quality service.
Speaking at the 26th Regional Conference of Customs Directors General of the Americas and the Caribbean, at the Hilton Hotel, St. James, on May 13, Mr. Mayne said that in its thrust towards modernisation there will also be the development of a new mobile application, ‘JaCustoms Connect’, as well as its contactless clearance system, to enhance the end-user experience of Customs stakeholders with the entity.
“These, among other far-reaching digitalisation projects, have enhanced the JCA’s processes and outputs, resulting in increased efficiency among various companies and border regulatory agencies, while earning the JCA the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 certification from the National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ),” Mr. Mayne noted.
“The JCA also continues to strengthen Jamaica’s capabilities in national security and to this end has gained direct access to the information system of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), which will enable the faster sharing of intelligence information in an effort to enhance border protection,” he added.
The State Minister said that the development and strengthening of Jamaica’s economic competitiveness can only be enhanced by a Customs Agency that is efficient through “streamlined processes and procedures”, cost savings, better use of resources and technology, and “transparent through the availability of accurate, reliable and timely information available online”.
He said implementation of significant reforms has resulted in noticeable improvements in terms of reduced cost and clearance times, increased effective use of risk management when targeting cargo for examination, reduced administrative costs and increased revenue collection, while providing accurate and timely international trade statistics.
“We are certainly in an exciting time in our economic history where the prospects for sustained growth and development have never been better. We continue to be resilient in the face of adversity, as we propel our economies on the sustained path to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated shocks,” the State Minister said.
“It is imperative that our Customs Agencies, which are key drivers of growth, are modernised and compliant with international standards and best practices to support and contribute to these positive economic developments,” he added.
Mr. Mayne said that as Jamaica’s economic trajectory progresses from extensive focus on macroeconomic stability and debt management to stimulating growth, competitiveness and innovation, “those institutions”, policies and factors that contribute to productivity become even more critical.
“The significant role of our Customs Agency, as well as the role played by our partners regionally and internationally in this process, cannot be overstated. We continue to strengthen relationships with our key stakeholders and forge ahead with critical reforms in facilitating trade and travel,” the State Minister said.
Mr. Mayne, in the meantime, noted that Customs Agencies have long been viewed as the stewards of a country’s trade and borders, facilitating legitimate trade, while protecting nations from threats.
He said that international trade, countries’ economic environments, and new technologies are rapidly evolving and that it is imperative that as “we position ourselves to be competitive, innovative and productive, our Customs Agencies are guided by modernised legislation”.
“To this end, the new Customs Bill, which has already been tabled in Parliament, and its accompanying regulations, will further enhance Customs reform and support the delivery of services at the Jamaica Customs Agency, including the introduction of a canine division, body cameras, contactless processing for non-commercial imports, single-window digital document processing, and digital immigration processing,” the State Minister added.