Customer Service Charter
Anguilla Customs Department Customer Service Charter
The Anguilla Customs Department is continually striving to strike a balance as the lead agency in protecting our borders, promoting economic activity by facilitating legitimate trade through service, innovation and integrity. Our aim is to continue to promote a culture of professionalism in our services, whereby promoting compliance and making it much easier to do. It will involve developing standard operating procedures to ensure professionalism, consistency and predictability in our operations, to ensure that our staff is adequately trained, and to learn more about our traders, to know our customers better and provide a high quality service.
With this, the Anguilla Customs Department has developed a customer-focused, service-oriented Customer Service Charter to engage all our stakeholders about the Customs functions and highlight our responsibilities in delivering a high quality service to you our customers. The Customer Service Charter sets out our Service Guarantees, our Service Commitments and Service Standards that is adopted by the Anguilla Customs Department. It details the department’s service principles and standards, which you our customer can expect to receive when doing business with Customs and how your feedback can hold us accountable when our service does not meet your expectations.
Overall the Customer Service Charter will gladly welcome your views and comments in helping us in monitoring and improving the quality of service we render to the public.
Our Service Guarantee
To fulfil our service guarantee to you our customers, CUSTOMS is committed to providing high quality services and high standards of customer service to you our customers. As a customer of the Anguilla Customs Department you have the right to be treated with respect and courtesy in a professional manner when accessing any of the services we offer. Either through Face-to-face communication, by way of written correspondence, phone or email services you have the right to be treated fairly and equally. We will continue to promote a culture of professionalism by:
• Being courteous and accessible
• Being a Professional
• Respecting your privacy through Confidentiality
• Applying the law in a fair and equitable manner
• Attending to your concern as our concern
• Providing quality service and treat complaints as opportunities for improvement
Our Expectations of Stakeholders
In order for us to consistently serve you with professionalism, we expect that you will assist us by fulfilling your obligations as a customer in the following manner;
• Be honest with us and provide accurate and complete information.
• Treat our staff fairly and with respect.
• Submit any documents and supporting evidence within the required time frame(s) so that we can provide the appropriate response in a timely manner.
When Travelling
• Be aware of Prohibitions and Restrictions.
• Ensure that you have honestly and accurately answered questions from us and complete all the necessary forms.
• Be aware that all cargo, passengers and their baggage is subject to examination by Customs. • We ask that you prepare for inspection of any goods you declare and declare any goods that you are uncertain of.
Customs Declarations (Entry) Clearance Times
The Customs Department Anguilla is striving to be competitive in trade facilitation and economic development by using ICT solutions to simplify Customs procedures and applying all means possible to maximize revenue collection, implement best practices, encourage voluntary compliance and reduce unnecessary delays during the clearance process.
The introduction of ASYCUDA World and other systems in the Customs Department has introduced extensive use of Information Technology into the overall Customs process. The hallmarks of this venture results in simplification of procedures and efficient and faster clearance times.
We will process your Commercial Declarations in a timely manner:
1. One to six lines will be processed right away
2. Six to Fifteen lines will be processed within One (1) hour
3. Fifteen to Thirty lines will be processed in at least Two (2) hours
4. Any other declarations that is registered will be processed in at least Twenty Four (24) hours
5. Declarations returned to the Customs Broker for a Query (through the Query Lane) will be processed in at least half the allotted time for the original submission
NB: This is on the assumption that Commercial Declarations has already been registered on ASYCUDA World. Please note that Declarations sent for Query to the Customs Broker and its ultimate re-submission by the Customs Broker cannot be measured by the Customs Department.
Non-Commercial (Simplified Declaration)
All non-commercial cargo that meets the requirements to be processed on a Simplified Declaration will be processed within a half an hour per shipment. Please be guided by the requirements for the clearance of non-commercial goods.
Customer Complaints
The Anguilla Customs Department has acknowledged that on occasion as a customer you may have received poor or inadequate service, and we did not meet your expectations, let us know as soon as possible. We shall investigate your complaint and inform you of how it has been rectified. To give you the best possible service, we welcome suggestions for improvement to address any difficulties you are experiencing we are anxious to know. We shall try to resolve complaints satisfactorily and in a timely manner. You can assist us to do this by providing clear details of the relevant facts.
Steps for dealing with Complaints:-
1. Request to speak to the Senior Customs Officer/Officer in Charge of the Port or Section where the incident occurred.
2. You will be required to provide clear details of the relevant facts of the incident. Based on the complaint, the Senior Customs Officer/Officer in Charge of the Port or Section will make a decision.
3. If you are not satisfied with the decision made by the Senior Customs Officer, then you can contact our Support Services Unit at Customs House to lodge your complaint. The Supervisor of the Support Services Unit will lodge your complaint and guide you through to a satisfactory resolve in a timely manner.
4. If necessary the Assistant Comptroller of Customs responsible for the Port/Section or if the Complaint is about an Officer the Deputy Comptroller HR will make contact with you about your complaint. Please note that you must make an appointment to see the Assistant and/or Deputy Comptroller of Customs.
5. You are also welcomed to lodge your complaints via our online Customer Feedback form
The Customs Department will respond to all complaints within 2-5 working days of receipt. All decisions will be communicated with the supporting justifications provided in the response.
If you are still not satisfied with the response, the Customs Department has a recourse that allows you to appeal the decision to the Office of the Comptroller of Customs in writing. Once received a panel of senior management will review the matter and the Comptroller will respond no later than 15 business days of the receipt of the request for revision.
Customer Feedback Form
Please contact us. We would love to hear from you!
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