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HM Custom’s ‘feeling’ major cut in budget – Wade Smith

- but said operations have not ‘slowed’ down
Commissioner of Her Majesty’s Customs, Mr Wade Smith has admitted that his department is 'feeling' the effects of a cut in its budget by Government but said its operations have not necessarily slowed down as a result. Photo: Team of Reporters
The National Democratic Party (NDP) Government of Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith has been accused of raiding the treasury to win the 2015 general elections. It has since followed up with budget cuts and increased taxes. Photo: VINO/File
The National Democratic Party (NDP) Government of Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith has been accused of raiding the treasury to win the 2015 general elections. It has since followed up with budget cuts and increased taxes. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Commissioner of Her Majesty’s Customs, Mr Wade Smith has admitted that his department is “feeling” the effects of a cut in its budget by Government but said its operations have not necessarily slowed down as a result.

Speaking exclusively to Virgin Islands News Online, Mr Smith said the border protection agency has had to adapt with the now limited resources at their disposal.

“By doing more with less you have to become more creative and be more effective. You don’t have time to make any mistakes, you don’t have time to correct them, you have to be spot, less time for error,” Mr Smith said, adding that in the past HM Customs was able to do more with a little more resources.

“Now we don’t have, [and it’s] not that we wasted those resources, we don’t have the amount of resources we had in the past so we have to be more strategic.”

‘Feeling it’ collectively

To make what they have work effectively, Mr Smith said that all the arms of HM Customs perform the functions of any area at any time. “So if we are short in one area then we just re-allocate our resources to that other area to help out so I wouldn’t say that any one arm is struggling. I would say that collectively we are feeling it.”

Automated Headquarters

Meanwhile, Her Majesty’s Customs is expeditiously chasing after the full establishment of a ‘Customs Automated Headquarters’ to improve its operations.

“Once the Headquarters is fully outfitted then we will have a central unit for the processing of entry documents electronically submitted to Customs,” Mr Smith explained.

In the current situation, according to the Customs boss, the department is operating electronically about 40% – 50% but when completed a 100% system operations is anticipated.

“By doing that we would be freeing up more officers to do the type of inspections that we spoke of about, auditing functions, more inspections, whether it’s by container examinations…. Vessels examinations officers would be doing more officer type work with the full implementation of the Customs Automated System,” said Mr Smith.

He was referring to the massive crackdown operations which have been filtering out defaulting charter companies, captains, agencies and persons acting on behalf of agencies.

18 Responses to “HM Custom’s ‘feeling’ major cut in budget – Wade Smith”

  • Duty Free Who? (30/06/2016, 10:23) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    That's the effect of the marvelous Duty Free idea!!!
  • foxy (30/06/2016, 10:30) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    Dem ndp thief all the money so none left to fun departments
  • wize up (30/06/2016, 10:49) Like (18) Dislike (2) Reply
    Wade for district 5(X)come 2019
  • King Kunta (30/06/2016, 11:27) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Budget is higher than its ever been but departmental budgets being significantly slashed. How does this add up?
  • Corruption (30/06/2016, 11:50) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    In customs won't help the cause.
  • Power To Wade Smith (30/06/2016, 11:58) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    @ Wize Up, district district #5 would be a bit low for him. I'd like to see us create a ministry of "Homeland Security"
    • wize up (30/06/2016, 12:28) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ power to smith: I agree but we have to elect him first....you realize that homeland security is never discussed during house of assembly; the 3-main focus of the current house of assembly is securing loans, clean up campaign so the tourist can see a clean BVI and how to save financial services while almost everyday there is some form of gun play.....
  • rewrsdffds (30/06/2016, 12:12) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    THE CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT TAKING IN THE MOST MONEY IN THE TREASURY AND THEY STILL CAN NOT FUND THEM PROPERLY . MR PREMIER THE IMMIGRATION SHOULD NOT BE ON THE BACK BURNER .MR SMITH IS DOING A WONDERFUL JOB GIVE HIM THE TOOLS THAT HE NEED AND STOP LETTING YOUR ///////// DOING WHAT THEY WANT WITH TAX PAYERS MONEY .WE ARE AWARE OF WHAT /// //ARE TRYING TO DO .PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AS YOU WERE TAUGHT.
  • haters (30/06/2016, 14:35) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Ministers have the rich people bring them things free while the poor pay for theirs corrupted government because the ministers go to scrub island oil nut bay and put up their feet while selling out our country
  • right (30/06/2016, 14:40) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    In other words, the officers now have to work instead of liming up and down in the jeeps and boats on taxpayer dime.
  • True crime (30/06/2016, 17:01) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    It is so funny how all of a sudden the Comissioner of customs wants to be heard and seen but yet still no accountability.... It's like seeing the COP writing tickets something doesn't make sense.....
  • Corruption (30/06/2016, 22:06) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Corruption Top to bottom. We need someone to weed them out.
  • Finance Dept. (01/07/2016, 01:04) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    what about the customs officers who 90% of them is being paid under $25,000.00 per year. Commissioner talk about that then we could listen to your cry. look out for your workers they are being financially abused.
  • mary j (01/07/2016, 02:53) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    look how he campaigning in the media well sah
  • Political Observer (01/07/2016, 09:16) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    Wade is head and shoulders above other department heads. Over the years and like a broken record, department heads go before the PAC and vent about lack of resources. However, I sense a different tone and style from Wade. Wade apparently is keenly aware and accepts that Customs will not have all the resources it needs. Instead, he has to maximize the use of allocated resources. In the spirit of effective management, he is resource leveling assigned resources to get the best results. Additionally, he is benchmarking best management practices to get better outcomes. His approach should be emulated. Here is a news flash. Departments will never have all the needed resources. Consequently, department heads must plan, organize, direct and prioritized resources. That is why you are needed. If government had all the resources needed, many of you would not be needed to make decisions as to what gets done first.


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