Customs - Image Builders for the Country - Facilitation at Airports - CBEC Instructions - Customs is not all About Annoying Passengers at Airports
CBEC realises the importance of facilitation at International Airports, as international passengers form an opinion of our country from the way they are treated by the Customs officers. And the Board has issued instructions. The salient features of the instructions are:
I. Training:
1. Training and exposure to modern methods of developing soft skills would certainly improve the manner in which a Customs officer interacts with international passengers. This would ensure a higher level of passenger facilitation as well as create a good image of the Department and of our country. Therefore, besides close monitoring by the supervisory officers, training of the Customs officers posted at international airports has to be given importance.
2. Hence, the Board has decided that the Chief Commissioners of Customs with international airports in their charge shall ensure that every Customs officer newly posted at the international airports mandatorily undergoes a training in the relevant rules and regulations as well as in the manner of dealing with international passengers.
3. The emphasis should be on sensitizing the Customs officers to deal with all arriving passengers and especially international passengers in a polite, professional and pro-active facilitative manner. These training programmes should be repeated on 6-monthly intervals.
4. Since multiple agencies function at international airports, it would also be useful to coordinate interactive sessions involving officials of other agencies so that collectively a good impression is made on international passengers.
5. The Chief Commissioner of Customs should coordinate these training programmes with NACEN, but should also take initiative to organize in-house programmes.
II. Help Desks:
1. A measure that would assist international passengers and in turn create a good image of the Department and our country would be through “Help Desks”. Admittedly, PROs perform this function today, but it is important to publicize this facility.
2. Since the public is largely attuned to “Help Desks” we need to use this term.
3. Thus, the Board desires that the Customs should set up a “Help Desk” in a prominent place immediately after immigration in the arrival hall and similarly in the departure hall of international airports.
4. There should also be a signboard to guide the international passengers to the “Help Desk”. Needless to state, the Customs officers(s) manning the “Help Desk” should be properly selected and must have in his/her possession required forms and information to guide international passengers.
Board wants the Chief Commissioners and Commissioners to take steps on institutionalizing the training programmes as well as establishing the “Help Desk”. The Board expects that these steps would enhance passenger facilitation as well as create a good image of the Department and our country.
Incidentally, the then Finance Minister in his Budget Speech for the year 2005-2006 had mentioned this -
"As a measure of facilitation, I propose to follow international practice and establish large taxpayer units (L.T.Us). To begin with, these units will be set up in major cities. I would like to invite large taxpayers, whether of corporate tax or income tax or excise duties or service tax, to participate in the programme and avail of the single window service. For small taxpayers, I propose to set up Help Centres in cooperation with industry associations, professional bodies and NGOs."
And the pious Board had come out with a Circular 815/12/2005-CX, dated 13th May, 2005 advising that -
“4. For the convenience of the trade, such Centres should not be run from the Central Excise & Customs offices but from the places where the business is located. Accordingly, they should function in close cooperation with the local Chambers of Commerce/ Trade Association from suitable premises in their local offices earmarked for the purpose. If need be, help may also be sought from Municipal Bodies/ Corporations/ Local bodies. As the basic objective is to facilitate the trade in a familiar ambience, such help should normally be volunteered by the local Chambers of Commerce/ Associations. These Help Centres should be made functional w.e.f. 1st July, 2005.”
Nine years down the line, everyone knows what happened to these Centres - relics of some bygone facilitation measure!
What happens in the field ? The Chief Commissioners and Commissioners don't even see the officers posted in the airports except when they are made to do protocol for these officers in the airports. While there are some very smart looking officers in our airports, we also have some shabbily dressed uncouth officers posted in the airports. Such officers should be hidden from public view, but are being presented before foreigners as samples of Indians and Indian officers.
It is great that Board has realised the importance of presenting a good image - but it should start with selection of the officers posted to the airport - let us lose a few thousands of rupees as duty, but let us ensure that people coming to the country except smugglers are heartily welcomed by the Customs.
Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General, World Customs Organization delivering a convocation address once said, When people think about Customs, the first thing that comes to mind is, officers annoying passengers at airports…
Can we change that?
Incidentally the officer who signed the CBEC Instruction was very polite. He told the Chief Commissioners and Commissioners - “ A compliance report would be appreciated .”
Hope you will get a chance to appreciate!
CBEC Instruction in F. No.450/148/2014-Cus.IV , Dated: September 19 2014