JCA Strategic Initiatives Underpinning the Entity’s Modernisation Agenda

  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), Velma Ricketts Walker, says the JCA has instituted several mechanisms and implemented several strategic initiatives that have further heralded the entity’s modernisation and transformation agenda.
  • This, she said, is underpinned by the World Customs Organization (WCO) Revised Arusha Declaration, the leading guiding principles for integrity development within customs administrations.
  • At the JCA’s annual anti-corruption panel discussion on August 30th, The CEO noted that the strategic initiatives include an improved regulatory framework under the new Customs Act, now before Parliament, and the JCA’s reformed human resource management machinery evidenced by a more transparent recruitment process.
  • Other transformational efforts include the digitalisation or automation of several trade and customs-related procedures and processes, driven by the customs management system, ASYCUDA. There is also the ongoing implementation of the Jamaica Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT). JSWIFT is an online platform that positively impacts trade and other border regulatory agencies.
  • The CEO said the JCA is serious about preventing and combatting corruption, by implementing practical solutions. “Integrity is a crucial part of our operations at Customs and is one of our core values. The agency has strategically sought to institutionalise how we operate, through the establishment of an Internal Affairs Division, and further buildout of this division with the introduction of an anti-corruption and integrity section,” she informed.
  • Mrs. Ricketts Walker said the most recent Customs Integrity Protection Survey (CIPS), in 2023, was a pivotal step in the JCA’s journey to enhance its operation. The primary goal was to measure stakeholders’ perceptions and identify areas needing attention. Additionally, she said that the introduction of the new Customs Act and the ratification of the Revised Kyoto Convention, which blueprints modern and efficient customs procedures, are also significant steps towards simplifying regulations and enhancing operational transparency.

 (Source: JIS)