The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A $1.38m consultancy contract will examine whether Bahamas Customs' operating procedures meet "best practices" in a global trade environment, the deputy prime minister said yesterday.

K Peter Turnquest explained that TTEK will examine the "overall structure of Customs", in contrast to the Electronic Single Window (ESW)/Click2Clear system that was focused more on trade facilitation.

"The TTEK consultancy is to look at the overall structure of Customs to see whether our operating procedures are best practices, given the dynamics of today's global trade environment," Mr Turnquest said, "and to look at our personnel to see where we may have some gaps and some other operational improvements we may need to make based on current practice.

"The Electronic Single Window is dealing with the trade facilitation, making it easier and detecting, and has some risk analytics in it to help with the reporting and accurate entering of data for cross-border trade for items."

TTEK has pledged to identify no less than $15m in uncollected revenue during its eight-month effort to crack down on leakages. It will work with senior management at the Customs Department and the Ministry of Finance to reduce revenue losses, and secure further reform and revenue enhancement within the tax collection agency.

Many Customs brokers and major importers have been complaining since last year about Customs' new Electronic Single Window (ESW), with the need to pay for goods before they are cleared - as opposed to the old system where duties were paid post-clearance - causing confusion for many.

Super Value's in-house broker, Wade Thompson, told Tribune Business then: "What people find most challenging is that you pay your duty, and then Customs checks your entry that you presented, which is the reverse of what the old system was.

"So what happens now is that you take your entry and prepare it. You submit it through the single window, the single window then processes it through for payment, and then you go and pay. After you have paid you then have to wait until Customs processes your paperwork and, if there is a problem, then you may have a further delay in getting your cargo because whatever the issue is would have to be addressed and fixed."

Mr Thompson added: "Unlike before with the eCAS (Electronic Customs Automated Services), where you make up an entry and you submit it, it may sit there, but a Customs officer may pick up the electronic file that you sent, check your documentation and once everything is OK they clear it for you to pay and, once you pay, then you can go and pick up your cargo."

Tribune Business could not contact customs comptroller, Dr Geanine Moss, for comment.