Customs Week being Observed from January 23 – 29

Customs Week will be observed internationally from January 23 to 29, and the Customs Department will be staging several activities during this period, to increase public awareness about its functions and the services it offers.
Acting Collector of Customs in Montego Bay, Patricia Buchanan told JIS News that events would be taking place in Kingston, St. Ann’s Bay and Montego Bay.She said that the week’s activities will begin with church services in all locations, with the Montego Bay service being held at the First Church of the Open Bible on Dome Street in the city.
“On Wednesday, we will be having a customer appreciation day in Montego Bay, which will be held at all four port areas that we cover. It will be at passenger control at the airport, air cargo at the airport, at Customs House and at the Montego Bay Freeport,” she noted. “We will provide refreshments for our customers, and we will be interacting with our customers, giving them information on our activities, and there will also be flyers giving information as to what we do,” Miss Buchanan added.
She pointed out that for the month of December, over 100,000 passengers were processed by customs officers at the Sangster International Airport; approximately 38 metric tons of cargo were checked at the shipping port at Montego Freeport; and some 187 metric tons of air-cargo had to be processed. Additionally, some 1,328 aircrafts, 20 cargo vessels and 15 cruise vessels had to be serviced by Customs Officers in that area.
Miss Buchanan said that customs officers have to be on the alert at all times, to ensure the proper declaration of dutiable goods being brought into the country. She is appealing to persons entering the island with dutiable items to ensure that they have the proper invoice for the goods, to avoid delays which could occur when thorough checks have to be done.