CUSTOMS officials in Guyana and their counterparts in neighbouring Suriname are committed to ongoing engagements aimed at strengthening the border laws and regulations of both countries while maintaining good trade relations.

Over the years this engagement has been fruitful with border control mechanisms to stop contraband and other crimes of a transnational nature, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) said in a press release on Monday.

Both countries, for example, have established port control units to control inbound and outgoing containers by improving real time exchange and analysis of information. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Deputy Commissioner of GRA’s Law Enforcement Programme, Karen Chapman last Friday delivered an address to a Guyana/Suriname Trade Conference, outlining the achievements that were made since the strengthening of engagements with Suriname.

MUTUAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE
Speaking at the Eastern Conference Room of the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Ms. Chapman said a draft agreement regarding the Mutual Administrative Assistance for the Prevention, Investigation, Detection, and Suppression of Customs Offences was prepared and is currently being actively reviewed by the Legal Division of the GRA, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the release, this initiative is a follow-up from a visit paid by the Heads of the Security Forces, including the GRA, led by the chairman of the Task Force on fuel smuggling and contraband, Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, to their counterparts back in late 2013.
The Maritime Administration Department is also involved in the finalising of the agreement regarding the Mutual Administrative Assistance.

Meetings were held in Suriname with senior officials of the Surinamese Customs and Excise Department. Out of those, Chapman said, were recommendations for the mandatory reporting by boat owners to Customs at Corriverton and Nickerie, to obtain valid Customs clearance prior to departure. The daily exchange of information electronically with regard to movement of vessels also formed part of the recommendation.

SEIZURES OF SMUGGLED GOODS
Meanwhile, regular patrols by Law Enforcement Investigation Division (LEID) officers who are deployed from Georgetown on a regular basis have resulted in seizures of several smuggled goods from Suriname.

According to Chapman, such surveillance exercises have resulted in confiscations of alcohol amounted to taxes in excess of $23M, chickens amounted to taxes in excess of $11M, restricted goods (firecrackers) amounted to taxes in excess of $800,000 and motor vehicles approximated a value in excess of $2M.

Water patrols, utilising the GRA’s motor vessels have resulted in seizure of motor vessels and drums of fuel.

These efforts have been complemented by the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad (BASS) which was streamlined with responsibilities for enforcement activities, including patrolling the waterways and roads to suppress smuggling activities.

Recognising that the issue of smuggling requires a multi-pronged approach, Chapman expressed the hope that the forum would help Suriname business owners and private sector bodies in acquiring a better understanding of the smuggling problem and that the decisions taken would be implemented. The Conference ended last Saturday, the release concluded.