Shoura asks customs to clear goods backlog fast

The Shoura Council advised the Department of Customs yesterday to find an effective mechanism to clear consignments of imported goods quicker to prevent consumers from paying over the odds.
The members expressed their opinions on the performance of the department at the council's 42nd ordinary session held at the council headquarters under the chairmanship of Abdullah Al-Asheikh.
During the meeting, the council's finance committee presented the department’s annual report.
Shoura Council Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Amro said members highlighted the problems experienced by importers whose goods are held up in customs due to delay in clearance. Al-Amro explained Saudi Customs should remove obstacles hindering the smooth clearance of imported goods. The department, he said, should work out a mechanism to accelerate customs procedures.
The members explained delays in clearing goods will cause importers to increase prices due to the heavy demand in the market and also due to the charges incurred for holding the goods in transit. The house also requested custom authorities to set up an electronic link with other organizations concerned to speed up the clearance.
A member pointed out the annual report lacks vital information for the Shoura Council to evaluate its performance. It was also noted that the revenues recorded by the department were modest during the year.
The house said customs officers should be made to learn foreign languages to deal effectively with non-Arabic speakers. It was also suggested the welfare of customs officers should be prioritized, especially with regard to providing facilities and accommodation for them. “Those officers who are not provided with government accommodation should be given a special housing allowance,” one member added. The council urged the department to take stern action against those importing counterfeit goods. The house said such consignments should not only be confiscated, but the consignee punished with heavy fines. Headquartered in Riyadh, the Department of Customs has a presence in 32 ports of entry throughout the Kingdom. Established in 1980 under the Ministry of Finance, 25 such ports have been interlinked through its automated systems.
After examining a report from the council’s committee on economic affairs and energy, the house approved a draft agreement on cooperation between the Kingdom and China in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Al-Amro said a proposal containing 21 articles, which was designed to nationalize operation and maintenance jobs in public facilities, was tabled yesterday. The bill, which was presented by Mohammed Al-Guwaihes, was discussed at length and referred to an ad hoc committee for further study. “The proposed system will at least serve as a database for Saudi job seekers,” the secretary-general said, adding it would also provide a list of vacant jobs for Saudi job seekers.
Meanwhile, Al-Asheikh met the head of the European Union Delegation in Saudi Arabia Luigi Narbone in his office at the Shoura Council yesterday. Narbone met with the chairman after completion of his tour of duty in the Kingdom.
During the meeting, the two discussed future cooperation to strengthen bilateral ties between the Kingdom and the European Union. Al-Asheikh also thanked Narbone for promoting bilateral cooperation during his tenure in Saudi Arabia.