Dear Editor,
Please me a space in your editors column to drop down some of my views about the Now former Comptroller of Customs and Excise Division.
It was very interesting and funny to read the email the Comptroller of Customs has sent to his work colleagues, thanking them for the good job they have done during his time as Comptroller of Customs and Excise Division.
The funny thing is that instead of thanking the Executive members and all staff for working together during his time as the Comptroller of Customs, he only thanked the certain individual female staff who joined the division through the graduates program. The staff being a new graduate did not even contribute in any way to improving the Customs Division due to her lack of experience. And this shows his character.
He claimed he was successful in his reform Programs but this is a false claim.
He claimed to deal with and wipe out corruption but this is false! He assumed that old officers are corrupted but this is not true! He is the one who is involved in corrupt dealings.
The evidences are;
1. Retrading of the vehicle (Prado) which the former Comptroller of Customs, used and is not retradable. He sold it and used the money for his own interests.
2. Awarding of contracts to his own friend and contractor from Australia to build resting huts around the Customs Organisation compound without proper procedures.
3. Interfered with interviews and awarded the REFORM Manager of Customs and Excise Division to a lady that is not well versed or not experienced with Customs Organisation to become a Reform Manager at Customs and Excise Division.
The above are just the tip of the iceberg of his corrupt dealings.
If the Former Comptroller of Customs and Excise Division, the Customs Organisation, the organisation will be in a big mess. He created a working environment where old officers do not work closely with him because he never trusted old officers. If an officer opposes any of his emails or plans, that officer will be removed from his/her position.
Now, we are experiencing delay of assessing and passing of Customers Entry SAD at the Customs Office because he replaced the old and experienced officers with graduates even though they have not received any appointment letter from the Ministry of Public Service to do the job. What a sad reality.
The Customs and Excise Division is all about FACILITATING and COLLECTION OF REVENUE for our government. But under his leadership, there was no improvement in revenue collection. Revenue collection has been very poor and if he remains, the government will lose more revenue.
Last year, 2022, the Customs and Excise Division did not reach the Revenue target and the first 3 months of this year, no monthly revenue target was collected. So, this man needs to go now, he is just a liability to the Government.
By John Suir
Lio Ridge,
Honiara
