THERE is a severe shortage of staff at the Customs and Excise Division (CED) to effectively carry out its function, the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on National Security noted in a report laid in the House of Representatives on Friday.
The JSC is chaired by Port of Spain South MP Keith Scotland.
'The major challenge for the Customs and Excise Division is the shortage of personnel to carry out its mission in an effective manner,' the report said.
The report also noted that the bulk of illegal guns are imported through legal ports fuelling a lucrative firearms industry ranging from $56 million to $144 million.
Noting that the Customs Act requirement of 700 employees predates the 'explosion of containerised cargo that occurred after 1990,' the committee, in its report, found that current staffing is only 50 per cent (352 employees) of that obsolete requirement.
'In real words, a shortage of more than 50% of personnel needed to fulfil its mandate with satisfaction is more a staffing crisis.'
The committee said the CED contracted 80 new personnel in June 2022. The group had two weeks of induction training, which finished on November 25, 2022.
'However, these trained officers will not be fully competent until after three years of experience in the fulfilment of their duties. Even if we can consider that, under the current situation of a severe shortage of personnel and shortage of specially trained screening officers, certain fatigue and loss of concentration after several hours of screening can happen. The fact that CED personnel has not detected any illicit firearms through screening in two years is not an encouraging result.'
The report also found that scanning and the process to acquire new scanners remains a challenge.
It said as at November 30, 2022, the CED noted that based on an Inter-American Development Bank Non-Intrusive Inspection Needs Report, the present fleet of Mobile VACIS (Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System) scanners are 'all and have been determined to be not fit for purpose' and as such, 'Due to their emission source, they cannot be upgraded.'
The committee found that containers were being checked primarily through physical examination. However, it learned that inadequate staffing does not permit efficient and timely physical examinations, with only three of 14 bays being utilised by officers at the Port of Port of Spain.
The CED currently utilises four fixed scanners: two at Piarco International Airport; one at the Port of Port of Spain; and one at the ANR Robinson International Airport, Tobago.
The report said for the period January-August 2022, the CED scanned 3,998 containers out of 23,000.
'The issues of limited scanner usage and a lengthy procurement process for replacements have severely impacted the functions of the CED, creating an evident correlation between inefficient technological capabilities and the prevalence of illegal firearms in recent years.'
It said while the CED has made numerous proposals to bolster their staff, 'As a division and not a departmen
