The Customs Division is the second largest revenue centre for Antigua and
Barbuda, ranking behind the tourism industry.
That is the observation of the newly appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of
Finance, Senator Dwayne George, speaking at the opening of The Caribbean
Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) meeting at the Royalton Hotel on
Wednesday.
Speaking in his maiden address since his appointment two weeks ago, Senator
George noted that revenues collected by the Customs Division rose by twelve per
cent in 2022 over 2021.
“For Antigua and Barbuda, in 2022 the Customs and Excise Division, which is
considered one of the country’s main revenue centres, recorded a 12 per cent
increase when compared with 2021’s performance. 2022 ended with the division’s
collections topping EC$382 million in comparison to $338.62 million in 2021.
“Tourism was the only other revenue generator that topped that figure,” he
reported.
The Senator noted that the Customs Division in Antigua and Barbuda is an
important agency to the nation as it is, he believes, for other Caribbean territories.
“As a government, we value your work and the contributions that you make to our
economic growth and development. That is why I deem it an honour and a
privilege to be here with you today as you commence your deliberations on taking
The Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council to another level,” he declared.
Senator George described the role of Customs in the region as not only limited to
border protection, ensuring that all applicable duties and taxes are paid, but also to
ensuring that various regulations and trade agreements are complied with while
ensuring cross-border trade facilitation.
CCLEC is a regional organization dedicated to improving the professionalism of
its members. CCLEC comprises 38 Customs Administrations of which 36 are
signatories to the CCLEC Memorandum of Understanding.
Also addressing the opening were the Chairman of CCLEC, Robert Croes,
Permanent Secretary for CCLEC, Claude Paul and Comptroller of Customs, Raju
Boddu.
