Nine new officers have joined the Cayman Islands Customs Department recently, bringing the organisation back up to pre-Ivan strength.
‘We had a very successful recruitment,’ said Collector of Customs Carlon Powery. ‘Four new officers started the 12th of September, and five started on the 3rd of October.’
Customs lost nine officers since Hurricane Ivan.
‘It was the biggest movement we ever had,’ said Mr. Powery. ‘Some officers opted for early retirement, and some took better paying jobs.’
The additional hirings have brought Customs back up to full strength, with the exception of six additional posts that will be added, Mr. Powery said.
In July, the Customs Department resumed normal business hours following the increased workloads created by the volume of goods imported after Hurricane Ivan.
Mr. Powery said his staff handled the pressure extremely well.
‘We went to a dual shift system, and in some cases we had to pay overtime,’ he said, adding that the extra income was welcomed by his officers, who were also trying to recover from the hurricane.
Despite the current economic challenges, Mr. Powery said very few of his 110 staff members have outside business interests, something that has been a point of contention recently in other government departments.
Mr. Powery said some of his officers have gotten approval to obtain second jobs, but the Department is diligent to make sure it does not interfere with their government duties, and that there are no conflicts of interests.
‘When there is any issue like that, we try to identify it early so we can nip it in the bud,’ Mr. Powery said.
As for why the moonlighting issue has not become a problem for Customs as it has in other Departments, Mr. Powery offered a theory.
‘I think the key is for us to lead by example,’ he said. ‘I’ve been with Customs for 34 years and I’ve never had a second job.’
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