Aust assists Customs with K50,000 worth of equipment

THE AUSTRALIAN government has assisted PNG Customs with K50,000 worth of small craft equipment to monitor the country’s borders.
Customs chief commissioner David Towe said in Port Moresby yesterday that the equipment would enable his agency to implement the Small Craft Act.
“The partnership between the Australian government and the PNG Customs goes back a long way and it’s not the first time we are getting such equipment from our partners, as well as capacity building, our people are going down to Australia for studies,” he said.
“Thank you for the support you have given to us.
“The work of customs throughout the world is all the same, it’s just that the different method of technology and the capacity that we use or apply in our work.
“Obviously, Australia and other developed nations, they have higher capability to watch the borders and they are equipped.”
Towe said PNG Customs was still developing its capacity to control the borders, increase revenue collection and protect communities.
“That is an ongoing challenge for us, managing our borders and controlling the import and exports, and people crossing our borders,” he said.
Towe said Australian High Commission counsellor for home affairs, Andrew Edgar, was also supporting the development of the review of the Customs Act.
“Good thing about the Small Craft Act is that it will go a long way in terms of assisting us.”