Kingston Wharves promises hassle-free Christmas operation
GARTH Kitson, the operations manager at Kingston Wharves, has promised a hassle-free Christmas at the ports, despite improvement works being done that will coincide with the annual end-of-year rush season for imports.
Kitson said that in light of renovations being done to expand the wharf, preparations were being made to mitigate delays in clearing shipments during the upcoming peak season. He added that while berths eight and nine at the port would be demolished close to the end of the year, other sections of the facility were earmarked to conduct business.
“It will be smoother than last year,” said Kitson, adding that customer service was foremost in the mandate of the upgraded Kingston Wharves.
Kitson was one of five presenters at a speakers’ forum convened Monday at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston by the Custom Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Jamaica (CBFFAJ).
Meanwhile, members of the CBFFAJ, which is celebrating 40 years this week, have been urged to keep abreast of developments and take advantage of the possibilities offered by the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), through the upgrading of skills and ongoing studies.
According to Fritz Pinnock, executive director of the Caribbean Maritime Institute, customs brokers were absent from the list of professionals who have sought to capitalise on the cross-border employment being facilitated by the CSME.
“Where are the customs brokers and freight forwarders?” he asked, while making his presentation to the brokers.
Pinnock said that against the background of a single market, modules were being put in place at his institution, with an emphasis on the Customs Act in Jamaica and other countries. “What we are trying to do is add mobility,” he said, pointing out that the brokers association should also act as a lobby group to make changes.
Pinnock argued that with the course, Jamaican practitioners could become international brokers licensed to operate in other countries allowing them to be able to move from country to country.
But even with the CSME, Pinnock stressed that training should nonetheless be ongoing for customs brokers, and he cited the Dangerous Codes Act which he said changed every two years.
He said that a number of Caribbean countries have been fined for products entering the US without proper documentation.
Other presenters were Bertrand Smith, director of legal affairs at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica; Clyde Thompson, assistant commissioner of the Jamaica Customs Department; and Erwin Haase, operations manager, APM Terminals Jamaica Limited.