E-Payment System Officially Launched At Jamaica Customs

The Jamaica Customs Department has officially launched its electronic (e)-payment system to facilitate the convenience of online payment by importers.
The e-payment system was first introduced by the Customs Department on January 7, 2003 as a pilot project. It involved 15 importers and their Customs Brokers, who were allowed exclusively to carry out their transactions online. With the launch of the system however, all importers can effect e-payment of customs duty of value not exceeding J$5 million.
The pilot project, which ended on July 8, recorded more than 300 transactions with revenues totalling over J$61 million. Online payments are facilitated by a Visa or Master Card, issued by any bank and the information provided is encrypted and secured by Verisign.
The system was implemented in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Fiscal Services Limited and Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) Jamaica Limited. The USAID was helpful in providing the required funding; Fiscal Services developed the requisite application system while BNS facilitated online payment. BNS is hoping to extend the payment options in the near future to facilitate bank transfers, thus allowing persons to make payments using their debit cards.
In his address at the launch, which was held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston, Commerce, Science and Technology Minister, Phillip Paulwell pointed out that the introduction of e-payment at Jamaica Customs was part of a series of initiatives aimed at bringing Government services online. “The vision is to remove paper and to remove lines,” the Minister stressed.
He added that the establishment of e-government was “a key aspect of the Government’s five-year strategic information and communication technology (ICT) plan”.
Mr. Paulwell stated that the ICT project was intended to put a number of fiscal agencies online, web-enable the operations of key agencies and to support an e-procurement feasibility study.
The launch of Customs’ e-payment system complements other modernisation efforts undertaken by that department, such as the C78 Electronic Entry Lodgement System, which allows for greater efficiency in the processing of goods for clearance by Custom Brokers.
Managing Director of Fiscal Services Limited, Lorenzo Grant observed that 99 per cent of the entries that came into Customs now were being sent electronically.
Kermit Moh, Acting Deputy Mission Director of the USAID, said in his address, that there were approximately 4,000 import shipments per week that were processed by about 350 licenced Brokers and commercial importers. He added, “prior to this project, payment of duties had to be made directly to cashiers at Customs House and took at least two to three days”.
Mr. Moh said that the payment of duties to Jamaica Customs, prior to clearance, was a critical step in achieving efficiency in the clearance of imports.
He said that Customs Brokers had reported that the payment process had been reduced from two to three days to one to two hours. “An improvement by 500 per cent,” he remarked.
Commissioner of Customs, Alison Moore said, “e-payment was but another step on the long and somewhat rocky road to a world-class organisation”. She highlighted other initiatives at the Department to include the introduction of the Selective Importation Inspection System (SIIS); the establishment of a Site Inspection Unit; a Fast Track Entry Processing System and a Pre-Arrival Processing System, among others.