The PNG Customs Service will add more manpower to assist in ensuring imports compliance and revenue collection are on par with their standards and requirements.
Ten short-term contractors have bene hired to boost Customs Service and they will be based within the Southern regional operations.
The recruits are undergoing a week’s training on Customs operations to understand its procedures and processes. Basic training is also provided in compliance so the new staff fully understand the roles that they will be undertaking.
When officiating the start of the training, Chief Commissioner or PNG Customs Service, David Towe said staff at the Motukea facility were overwhelmed and required the help.
“I have to give them the resource that they require, the main issue was manpower. In addressing the shortage in manpower, the Customs management decided to engage the 10 staff to come on board to assist with compliance.
“A lot of things have gone unaccounted for and it is important that you come on board and help us to stop the loss of cargo control,” Mr Towe said.
He said that Customs is a risk-based intelligence led organization and is one of the more modernized government entities.
“In modernizing of our systems and procedures, I have noticed we have also lost control of our cargo, you were brought on board to help fix this.
“I want your efforts and commitment to help us take back control of the depot arrangement in the various depots.”
Mr Towe said recruitment was carried out mostly on LinkedIn, with candidates required to have diploma or degree in any field. They will be shot-term contractors engaged for up to one year and will continue engagement based on their performance.
“The Customs Service Act gives me the power to directly engage people when there is an issue to address. So I have exercised this power to bring on board people to assist in addressing this need in the organization,” he said.
Mr Towe said the biggest issue is the depot arrangement, which is one where cargo ends up at the depots and are supposed to stay there and cleared within 30 days.
He said depots are supposed to take in Lose Containers Loads, which carry cargo by multiple importers, when the containers get to the depot the importers lodge their declarations and have their goods cleared and proceed with unpacking.
“What has been happening is that we have been allowing containers to go into the depots but Customs officers have not been inspecting the containers to verify the type of goods to ensure they are cleared and taxes are paid.
“Currently we have about three officers managing 10 depots and another eight bonded facilities, manufacturing warehouses in NCD. That is a significant amount of work that they have been doing, but they don’t have the manpower to monitor all these sites.”
Mr Towe also added that Customs total employees should be over a thousand, but numbers are less than fifty percent. He said there is a need to recruit more people.