Courier Distribution Centre coming to better inspect imports
With an increase in the number of imports to the BVI through local courier services, Her Majesty’s Customs will be establishing a courier distribution centre.
Commissioner of Customs, Wade Smith said the main purpose of the centre is to address the ‘spacing issue’ at local ports of entry and to properly police against illicit items now being imported through courier services.
“We made a proposal to the Ministry of Finance and presented a case to [the] Standing Finance [Committee] where we are now in the process of establishing what is called Her Majesty’s Customs Courier Declaration Centre, which will allow all courier services to deposit their goods into this facility to enable proper, full, thorough investigation and inspection of goods,” Smith said while speaking on ZBVI radio recently.
Better detections
Clinton Romney, the Deputy Customs Commissioner responsible for enforcement, described the facility as a first step to nabbing persons importing illegal goods through couriers.
He said Customs will be “in total control of receiving the goods and releasing the goods” once the centre is established.
“So anyone that is picking up a package; they’re coming directly to Customs. We feel that is the first step in making our detection and from detection going to court and getting convictions,” Romney stated.
He said Customs has been experiencing difficulty determining the persons importing these contraband through couriers.
Here’s what he explained: “For cargo that comes through a courier that it is consigned to ‘John Doe’, it is very difficult that we could prepare a case, send it to the DPP, and get a conviction.”
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Yup. More govt intervention needed. More govt jobs. Higher costs passed along to us.
Thanks
when fowlcock get teeth
So you mean to tell me we will have to collect our packages from a Government?? To.deal.with ineffecient Government workers? When you deal with a private enterprise they try to give prompt and efficient service because of competition. Please help me understand this…
So you could nab 1 out of 1,000,000 packages you telling me we need to build a collection facility at the taxpayers expense off a struggling local and global economy. So if so send my pack through Khoys or aeropost….how them going to get their money and how you going to know which account and who package?????
I don’t think it was explained properly. I think what they are saying is that when packages come through Airport or BVIPA they will be checked through the distro center before being collected by the private couriers. This is what I understood but maybe I’m wrong.
Yep, because Customs are very honest and won’t get involved in any criminal activity. Good job.
Will make delivery of goods impossible.
look, i understand why they would want to do this but from a consumer pov this is probably just going to add extra time and money to the already long and expensive process of importing goods.
To guard the chicken house? Narco state is here and its not looking pretty..
Wade deh m** boss relax yourself you well know your staff c*****t stop waste government money
Has it occurred to ANYONE in our government to find out how other countries deal with this issue? There is a reason that FedEx and DHL are not generally known for delivering contraband. Instead of reinventing the wheel as a square (yay us! It’s a bumpy ride, but we can call ourselves individuals to the end), we can ask advice.
An recept office with x ray conveyor at the airport and one at the new West End Ferry terminal (lol) is a start. A lot cheaper, too.
On the Enforcer. Class act
I have so many things I could say about the parasites over at HM Customs… Few of them complimentary.
All I want to know is who Wade them think they fooling……next……
Thought that was what the CARGO center at the airport was for??
Plus the other stuff comes through the dock or the port which has full-time customs officers???
Maybe, just maybe you need to look at your processes and your staff. If you had full-time sniffer dogs you would have a much higher rate of catching people but as it’s just about spending money and still letting the drugs through to the ones you want nothing will change.
Idea 1 – Stop tourists coming
Idea 2 – Stop Investment coming with new Trade Commission
Idea 3 – Stop Goods being imported.
Idea 4 – Stop companies operating by not permitting qualified people.
Idea 5 – Find a new way of measuring success so we can make these look like successes.
Idea 6 – Bring in more regulations that make doing anything almost impossible.
Idea 7 – Buy donkeys.
Idea 8 – Grow vegetables.
Idea 9 – Encourage other pillars of industry and offer loans to buy a fast boat and help expand the fastest growing import/export business of the VI.
Idea 10 – Free gun with each scooter promotion.
Idea 11 – Introduce gambling
Idea 12 – Go independent form UK
That should just about get VI on the right track.
Oh lawd!!! Jokes for days
While the rest of the world is making things easier the BVI continues to over-complicate everything.
AS THE SONG GOES ( EVERYWHERE IS WAR ) AND RIGHT YA THE PARTY JUST BEGAN IT LOOKS LIKE ANYTHING GOES NOW , LETS GET IT ON DOD EAT DOG AND I MAN NAH GET INNA DAT DEY ?
ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE TRUTH
Whats needed is a facility at the airport and the Port where goods can be scanned through, Just like your baggage at the airport. We all see this facility as we go into the airport at St Thomas.
Possible larger scale for scanning pallets or containers.
This way they can find drugs, guns, on the scanner. But don’t think that this is the import route into the BVI for these items.