CUSTOMS ANNOUNCES 35TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS’ ACTIVITIES

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Officers with BVI Customs announced on a GIS Public Eye Programme, that the department will be celebrating its 35th Anniversary with a week full of activities from July 11 to July 17.

The theme of the anniversary is “Acknowledging the Past, Embracing the Present and Securing the Future.”

Officers on the panel were Assistant Comptroller (Assurance), Mr. Leslie Lettsome, Customs Officer on the CAPS Team, Ms. Kindra Pickering, and Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Wade Smith.

Customs Week 2010 begins on Sunday, July 11, with a worship service at the Sea Cow’s Bay Methodist Church at 9am.
On Monday, various officers will co-host Morning Devotion on ZBVI, every day until Friday. After the show, a team will visit senior citizens at the Long Trench Centre on Tortola and present K-9 demonstrations.
Another team will visit more senior citizens at the Road Town Senior Citizen Centre and the Sea Cow’s Bay Community Centre on Wednesday.

Students from the Elmore Stoutt High School will tour all Customs’ stations on Thursday. With regards to the intention of the tour, Mr. Lettsome commented, “We want to show the students what we do, and what we are doing to help make a better Virgin Islands.”

On Friday, Customs will host an Open House all day at all customs’ stations. Old and new photographs will be on display.
The annual Customs’ ball will end the week of activities on Saturday, July 17. The theme is “White as Snow for All to Glow.” The ball begins at 8pm at Quito’s Gazebo Bar and Restaurant in Cane Garden Bay. DJ Bertrum will begin the night’s entertainment and Cool Session Brass, out of St. John, is the featured performance. Tickets are $20 and are available at Customs’ stations or can be purchased from individual officers.

“We are looking forward to our anniversary and are asking the public to come out, interact with and support us,” said Mr. Lettsome.

During the week, Customs will also launch a book which shares its title with the theme. Mr. Lettsome explained that the book shows the history of the department from its beginning to present. He shared that it will feature photographs of long serving officers, and persons associated with Customs, like boat captains and the leading merchants of the time.

Mr. Smith added, “The book also shows the growth of the industry. It illustrates trade in its infancy stages so that persons can compare that to where it is now.”
The book also includes articles from officers and friends of Customs, procedures and legislation. More details about the book launch will follow in the coming weeks.

The Customs Symposium is slated for Tuesday, July 13, and presentations will focus on the Customs Automated Processing System (CAPS) and other procedures. Once confirmed, details regarding the venue and time will be released to the public.

The BVI Customs Department was established on July 1, 1975 as a revenue collecting agency for Government. The mission of BVI Customs is to safeguard the well-being and security of the Territory by facilitating legitimate trade, enforcing import and export regulations and conducting covert and overt surveillance of the Territory’s waters.