In his schedule of interactions with Staff of the Ministry of Finance and Energy, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Energy, Dr Keith Mitchell, met with the management and staff of the Customs and Excise Division on Tuesday 26 March.
Dr Mitchell updated the Customs and Excise Division on the implementation of the Home Grown Programme, and highlighted the critical role of the Division with respect to revenue generation. He said, “The role of the Customs and Excise Division is most critical to Grenada, in terms of tourism, investment and, at this time, the success of the Home Grown Programme.”
He also reminded the Customs staff that they are one of the first points of contact with visitors, potential investors and returning nationals, and that they must be mindful of the image they portray, since it reflects the image of Grenada and can influence the decisions of persons, particularly investors and visitors. Dr Mitchell assured them of Government’s support in regard to the performance of their duties in accordance with the law, without fear of intimidation by anyone. He emphasised that honesty and integrity, courteousy and consistency, are key facets of this service, being always mindful that they are providing a service, and not a favour, to the general public.
The staff discussed various aspects of their operations with the Prime Minister, and made suggestions for improving operations and reforming the 1960 Customs Act.
A Government Information Service (GIS) statement said that part of the Prime Minister’s legacy is to be the practice of rotation of public officers in the Public Service. It is Dr Mitchell’s conviction that Public Officers must be rotated as part of their learning experience. “No one should be of the perception that they are hired to work in one position for a lifetime. Rotation allows one to enhance personal development by being exposed to a variety of experiences and also helps to prevent good persons from going bad.”
