MORE Customs officers will be needed because of zero-10. Chief officer Rob Prow said that the service expected more people to try to evade paying extra duty on tobacco and fuel.
‘It is clear that indirect taxation will have to rise and this will create more work for this small division of the service who will need to provide more activity with regard to revenue protection,’ he said.
Home minister Geoff Mahy said he recognised that Customs would be under greater pressure.
‘Obviously they will need more staff,’ he said.
Deputy Mahy said that Treasury and Resources had agreed that some of those currently working at motor tax could switch to Customs to police the duty on diesel when vehicle tax discontinues at the end of the year.
‘There will be some additional staff, but in some cases Customs will be asked for more with few of them and there will be extra pressures,’ he said.
Mr Prow said the new taxes would result in greater attempts at fraudulent evasion.
‘It is an unfortunate fact of life and a global phenomenon that the higher you raise taxation, the more fraud and smuggling results.
‘The UK has had plenty of experience in having to put more officers on the frontline to detect fraud and smuggling for product purposes as well as traditional smuggling,’ he said.
Mr Prow said the decision to abolish motor tax and apply an increased rate of duty on petrol together with the introduction of an excise duty on diesel fuel used on the roads would add to existing pressures for his team of 76, including administration staff.
‘Duty free fuel will have to be dyed and marked and that will mean anti-smuggling and anti-fraud measures will have to be increased in these areas,’ he said.
He said the aggressive sale of duty free products in airports and on board ships and aircraft tempted people to bring in more than they were allowed.
Mr Prow said he had an extremely dedicated staff that worked professionally and were committed.
‘In 2006, 33 people were convicted in the Royal Court for serious drug traffic offences and 18 smuggling syndicates and serious organised crime groups were removed. The confiscation of £80,000 from those syndicates shows the service is working very impressively,’ he said, ‘However we realise that the pressures on us at the moment are huge and officers work long and flexible hours.
‘The challenge is for us to continue to be properly resourced and continue the level of success.
‘We need to monitor and review these resources and ensure we can cope with these pressures.
‘Together with the police, we are reviewing the amount of resources we are putting to financial crime and money laundering and confiscation of products of crime,’ he said.
Article posted on 17th October, 2007 - 12.00am
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