The Barbados Customs and Excise Department collected approximately $5.46 billion in revenue between 2023 and July 2026, while more than $3 billion was lost through concessions, waivers and suspected tax evasion practices, acting Comptroller of Customs Lynette Padmore has said.
Padmore made the disclosure on Sunday during the department’s 121st Anniversary Church Service at the Power in the Blood Assembly, Tudor Bridge, St Michael, where she outlined the challenges facing the department and its plans to modernise its operations.
She said revenue collection could have been higher if not for revenue foregone through concessions and waivers, as well as “fraudulent tax evasion practices of undervaluation and under-invoicing”.
Aside from revenue collection, she said customs officers operating at the island’s air and sea ports and the General Post Office seized just under 1 000 kilograms of vegetable matter, with an estimated street value of approximately $8 million.
They also confiscated 12 firearms, 15 magazines and approximately 900 rounds of ammunition.
Padmore said other prohibited items, including cocaine, methamphetamines, dangerous tactical gear and equipment, camouflage, tasers and drills, had also been intercepted at Barbados’ borders.
“Most territories now face similar challenges, and Barbados will remain exposed to these evolving threats if every agency operates with a singular mentality,” she warned.
She stressed the importance of cooperation between customs and other agencies, noting that the department works with The Barbados Police Service, Immigration Department, Barbados Defence Force and Coast Guard, and other local, regional and international partners.
“Together we engage in targeted operations which aid in developing strategies for specific border controls, anti-smuggling efforts, and fraud investigations,” Padmore said.
She said the customs department must also keep pace with changes in international trade and increasingly sophisticated methods used by smugglers.
“This modernised Customs and Excise Department must now adapt and lead from the front with automation, data-driven risk management, efficiency, and integrity in this fast-paced environment where we find ourselves today,” she said.
Padmore also pointed to the need to strengthen the department’s human resources following retirements and the loss of institutional knowledge.
“We now have quite a few relatively new staff who are now learning the fundamentals of customs,” she said. “Training is, therefore, essential at this juncture, and we are meeting it head-on.”
Starting this week, 18 Customs officers will undergo an intensive valuation training workshop in association with the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC).
The training will be followed by the National Transformation Initiative’s “The Art and Heart of Service” programme for the wider department.
Padmore said officers had also received training in areas including small arms and light weapons identification, illicit trafficking methods, synthetic drug detection, artificial intelligence in cybersecurity and data analytics.
Three officers recently returned from training in China, with two studying smart customs and smart borders and another focusing on green finance.
She said the department was also exploring new technologies, including artificial intelligence and smart systems, to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.
However, Padmore acknowledged that the department had faced criticism in recent times and urged staff to embrace the department’s core values of professionalism, integrity, accountability and transparency.
“Together, we can restore our image, renew our efforts, and seek to change our current direction,” she said.
The anniversary celebrations are being held under the theme ‘The Rise to Excellence Continues’. (LE)
