Federal Customs Authority, FCA, has issued the first unified system for licensing the Customs Inspection Profession in the United Arab Emirates, to develop the customs inspection system in the state, upgrade the inspectors competency, enhance control at the customs border posts and support the UAE competitiveness in the international indicators.

Ali Saeed Mattar Alneyadi, Commissioner of Customs – Chairman of FCA, said that the new system represents a significant step within the customs sector preparation for the next 50 years. It also contributes to the achievement of the objective of the principles of UAE Vision 2021, by developing the customs work environment, based on the Unified Customs Law and the laws and regulations applicable in this field. This will strengthen the customs role in supporting the community security and stability.

The new system states that the customs inspector or officer, is a UAE natural person, authorised by the Customs Department, according to the standards approved for the performance of the customs inspection profession. The customs inspection is defined as one of the customs activities carried out by the customs inspector or officer for the inspection of goods, individuals, means of transport of all types, to combat and control smuggling and contraband, prepare reports upon detection of any cases, thus collect the custom duties and prevent the entry and exit of any restricted or prohibited goods, according to the applicable customs rules and regulations.

Alneyadi explained that the customs inspection profession licensing system, aims to reorganise, develop and enhance the customs inspection profession in the UAE and reinforce the sense of security and customs for the customs inspectors and officers. Also to unify the standards and procedures, required for the employment, training and licensing of the candidates to assume the customs inspection duties. This shall also include the setup of effective plans to ensure the continuous development and qualification of the inspectors. In addition to that their competencies and skills shall be unified and developed, to ensure equal opportunities for the U.A.E candidates in the customs inspection jobs.

A unified database shall be established for the customs inspectors and officers in UAE and the best international practices and standards shall be applied in the customs inspection sector.

The provisions of the new system shall be applied to all customs departments throughout the country, including the customs inspectors and officers of such departments and those concerned with the customs inspection, by the appointment and licensing resolution issued by the Customs Department. The provisions of this resolution shall also apply to the staff of the Federal Customs Authority, who hold the customs controller, inspector or officer job titles and enjoy the judicial officers capacity, according to the Authority Law No. (8) of 2015.

Ali Alneyadi added: "The Federal Customs Authority shall establish a federal register called "Licensed Customs Inspectors / Officers Federal Register" as a database, including the data and information of all the customs inspectors at the authority and the local customs departments licensed for the customs inspection operations in UAE.

The Technical Committee for Customs Inspection Profession Licensing, chaired by the Authority and membership of the local customs authorities, shall prepare and approve the standards and procedures required for the appointment, training and licensing the customs inspectors or officers and prepare and establish a work mechanism for the federal register for the inspectors, according to the data and requirements approved on the system.

According to the new system, the local customs departments shall undertake to apply the approved standards and procedures to the inspectors employment process to ensure equality and fair chance for those who are competent and qualified. This in addition to the qualification, training and licensing them, according to the standards and procedures, provided for in system. The Authority shall be continuously furnished with the data of the licensed inspectors, reward the excellent inspectors and take disciplinary action against them for their defaults and violations, as per the procedures adopted by the Customs Department and the profession code of conduct and ethics.

The system included a number of competencies, skills and job functions, which the licensed customs inspector or officer should have, such as the knowledge of the laws and regulations governing the customs in the state, specially the Unified Customs Law, International Customs agreements, coordinated system rules of the customs tariff and other related legislations, in addition to the skills of the shipments, luggage, passengers, various means of transport, operation and understanding the outcomes of the security inspection scanners, body languages, reading and interpretation of documents reports and information.

The Authority Chairman stated that the new system provided for the full Emiratisation of the customs inspection profession. The unified system for the customs inspection licensing in the U.A.E set for a number of inspector selection and appointment standards, which the customs departments shall comply with. First of all the applicant should be a UAE citizen, his age is not more than 35 years, a holder of successful general secondary school certificate or equivalent, as a minimum academic requirements for performing the custom inspection profession.

The applicant shall pass the medical examination, the drugs and intoxicants examination and shall be subject to a further test, when so required by the Customs Department. This shall also require to successfully pass the physical fitness test for each custom department, observing the differences between the two genders. Passing the national service course shall relieve from the physical fitness tests, in addition to passing the psychological and personal tests and the initial job interview.

The system requires the Customs Department to train and qualify the custom inspectors and officers, before granting them the license and ensure that the candidate must successfully pass a number of programs approved by the system.

The Custom Department undertakes to engage the customs inspector or officer in two job-in-hand training courses per year and give due care to the physical and psychological fitness for the inspector and link this to his / her annual appraisal and ensure that he/she obtains a training and qualification in the first aid, safety and security procedures, how to deal with the hazardous materials and equipment, in addition to the security control and checking, continuous selective medical examination for the inspector, as well as the provision of the capabilities and tools required for the performance of his work in a perfect manner and continuously ensure of the inspector commitment to the custom integrity and honesty.

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