Dayang Fatimah greeting Customs personnel at the World Customs Day celebration yesterday. — Photos by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The Customs Department in Sarawak has seized smuggled goods worth RM371,761.47 with a tax value of RM2,549,646.67 in 26 cases in the state so far this year.
Last year, RM6.95 million worth of smuggled goods were seized, and the tax value was RM8.87 million. State Customs director Datin Dayang Fatimah Johari said the major contraband seized last year was vehicles worth a total of RM1.602 million and involving taxes totalling RM1.437 million.
“The second largest commodity seized was cigarettes, valued at RM609,100.22 with RM5.76 million in taxes, followed by alcohol worth RM428,612.07 with RM1.43 million in taxes.
“Firecrackers amount to RM162,840.41, involving a tax value of RM106,001.53,” she said in a press statement issued during World Customs Day 2015 celebration at Customs headquarters yesterday.
Dayang Fatimah said enforcement operations along the borders were stepped up during festive seasons last year.
“As an enforcement body, the Customs Department also plays a role in controlling entry points along the borders to ensure prohibited goods are not brought into the country. Border controls are carried out to ensure that subsidised goods such as cooking oil, sugar, and gas in cylinders are not smuggled out of the country,” she said.
She added that throughout 2014, the department seized goods worth RM82,928.88 with a tax value of RM78,309.47 at the Tebedu customs, immigration and quarantine post on the Sarawak-West Kalimantan border.
Among the major items seized were fireworks, cigarettes and batik cloth, she said, adding that much of the department’s successes resulted from ongoing joint anti-smuggling measures such as the Outlet Operations, land patrols, roadblocks and intensive checks conducted on containers at the ports. She said smuggling was more rampant during the period just before major festivals as the demand for smuggled goods rose then.
Hence, the department recently launched ‘Ops Perayaan’ to break the supply and delivery of smuggled goods from now till Feb 18.
The public are urged to report illegal smuggling activities, particularly of cigarettes, alcohol, and fire crackers to the department.
On tax revenue, Dayang Fatimah said in 2014, the department collected some RM974 million in tax revenue, mostly from export duty (RM511.8million or 52.5 percent). The second biggest contributor was service tax, at RM136million or 14.3 percent.
In conjunction with World Customs Day, Customs officer Hasma Suhaili was awarded the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Certificate of Merit for rendering exceptional service to the international customs community.
The State Customs Department also presented excellence awards to Murphy Sarawak Oil, Syarikat Peng Guan Pengarakan Sdn Bhd and Pullman Kuching for contributing significantly to tax revenue last year.
At the gathering, Dayang Fatimah also read out the World Customs Day message from Customs director-general Dato Sri Khazali Ahmad, in which the latter stressed on the importance of inter-agency cooperation.
“Close cooperation among all related agencies, organisations, commercial bodies and individuals is important to prevent duplication of duties, to save costs through economy of scale, to increase efficiency and competitiveness, among others.
“An all-inclusive cooperation in border management is essential, and Customs has implemented a few world-class initiatives using WCO model based on Customs-To-Customs Cooperation, Customs-To-Business Partnership and Customs and Other Border Agencies.
“I urge all Customs personnel to work along the principle of i-Speed, which stands for Integrity, Speed, Professional, Efficient, Effective and Dynamic,” said Khazali.
Present were State Customs deputy director Ahmad Jii, MBKS mayor Datuk James Khay Syn, DBKU mayor Datuk Abang Wahap Abang Julai and State Immigration Department director Datu Robert Lian Balangalibun.