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By Deslyn A Joseph
Salim Browne, a dedicated Customs officer who has served the department since 2010, recently returned to Antigua following a prestigious three-month scholarship in South Korea. Selected as one of only 10 individuals for the Korea-WCO (World Customs Organization) Smaller Economies Scholarship, he spent his time from September 11 to December 6 studying advanced Customs procedures and technological integration in one of the world’s most automated trade environments.
Browne resumed his duties the following week and subsequently shared his observations with Observer Media on the stark differences between the manual processes currently used in Antigua and the highly automated systems he witnessed abroad. In Korea, he noted that the movement of goods is handled almost entirely by technology; packages are automatically sorted by size, weight, and country of origin via factory-style conveyor belts. Manual intervention only occurs at the final stage of scanning and loading, a sharp contrast to the local process where officers must manually inspect items alongside importers for classification and evaluation.
A primary goal for him is the implementation of a “Big Data Warehouse.” This centralized digital repository would collect and store information from local, regional, and international importers, as well as Customs offices worldwide. He explained that such a system would allow for real-time tracking of new trends in product classification and provide a definitive reference point to resolve documentation discrepancies between importers and government agencies. However, he acknowledged that achieving this vision would require significant investment in physical infrastructure, including increased storage capacity and Internet bandwidth, alongside close collaboration with other government agencies.
While Browne is eager to disseminate the knowledge he gained to the Customs Research Department, formal implementation has been temporarily delayed. The research team is currently occupied with an immediate, high-priority project aimed at modernizing the organization. He views this as a positive sign, noting that the department is already making strides in the right direction. “I expect to sit down with researchers soon to dissect the findings, alongside ideas from a colleague, Ms Jonas, who attended a similar program the previous year to determine which international practices are feasible for the Antiguan context,” he stated.
Reflecting on the evolution of the Customs administration over the last 14 years, Browne expressed deep excitement for the future. He emphasized that the shift toward data-driven decision-making and the potential introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) act as powerful tools for research and comparison, much like the transition to the computer era. He maintains that increased access to data will not only benefit Customs officers and stakeholders but will also empower the government to implement regulations that drive the entire country toward a “first-world” standard of efficiency.
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