Sharjah 24: Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman for Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority, has stressed the importance of constantly boosting the efficiency and readiness of customs centres, ports and border points at the Emirate’s level, calling for ensuring their integration and cohesion.

“This can be simply achieved by improving operations, simplifying procedures and developing customer services, in line with the Sharjah government directives aimed at upgrading the services provided by Sharjah ports, supporting and strengthening the national economy and developing and facilitating the movement of trade and travellers,” he added.

Sheikh Khaled made these remarks during his meeting with the Chairman and members of the Customs Policies and Procedures Committee at Sharjah Customs (SC), during the committee’s second meeting, which has been recently held at the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone).

The meeting was attended by His Excellency Mohammed Mir Abdul Rahman, Director General of Seaports and Customs Department at the Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority, His Excellency Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, Director of Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority (SAIF) and Mohammed Ibrahim Al Raisi, Director of Ports and Border Points Affairs, Chairman of the Committee. 

During the meeting, five teams were set up and formed under the umbrella of the committee to carry out several tasks including conducting a study on standardizing work procedures, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and submitting recommendations for development, as well as preparing studies on policies and regulations governing work systems in order to achieve further facilities.

The five teams include a special working group to develop a systematic mechanism for exchanging information, in addition to another team to prepare a manual for customs procedures and measures, while the third team will be tasked with mapping out a plan for smart electronic transformation.

The committee approved the tasks and responsibilities and the membership of the teams, which will feature customs, administrative, financial and technical competencies representing the Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority.

The committee said it will oversee and follow up on the teams’ implementation of the tasks entrusted to them, according to a specific time frame during which every three months a periodic report will be submitted to the chairman of the authority.

Sheikh Khalid was briefed on the duties of these teams, instructing the committee to ensure that these teams are fully qualified to work permanently in accordance with a well-thought-out strategy.

He stressed the importance of carrying out field tours and visits to customs centres in order to check on the extent to which they meet all evaluation criteria conducted by audit and evaluation teams from local, federal and security departments,

“Customs centres must be fully ready to meet all assessment criteria at all times and must be managed by capable cadres who can professionally manage these centres. All ongoing digital transformation projects should be sustainable, equipped with artificial intelligence techniques and based on innovation and creativity. They must also be easy to use by both employees or customers, and shall undergo a periodic assessment to keep pace with the latest developments and changes,” Sheikh Khalid said.

For his part, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Raisi reviewed the smart digital transformation plan for customs services and the stages of implementation.

“This plan comes in line with the aspirations of Sharjah Government and the objectives of the Sharjah Digital Office, which aims to adopt best practices and build an advanced digital system in which the government works around the clock to serve the people sustainably, provide integrated government services to all individuals based on simplified mechanisms that save them time and effort”, Al Raisi added.