Appointment Of New Director-General At The Singapore Customs

1    The Minister for Finance has appointed Mr Tan Hung Hooi as the next Director-General at the Singapore Customs. Mr Tan, who is currently Deputy Commissioner (Operations) at the Singapore Police Force (SPF), will take over from incumbent Mr Ho Chee Pong on 1 September 2022. Mr Ho, who has served as Director-General  since January 2014, will relinquish his appointment to take on a senior appointment in the education sector from 1 September 2022.

2    Under Mr Ho’s able leadership, Singapore Customs embarked on a transformation journey, stepping up efforts in leveraging technology to enhance overall effectiveness. This includes the digitalisation of customs processes as well as in enhancing digital trade connectivity with our overseas trading partners. Mr Ho played a key role in developing the Networked Trade Platform (NTP) as a key trade and logistics ecosystem, enabling cross-border connectivity collaborations with several major overseas partners on the digital exchange of trade and customs documentation.

3     On the trade facilitation front, Mr Ho oversaw the implementation of the ASEAN Customs Transit System (ACTS), ASEAN-Wide Self-Certification Scheme, and the preparatory groundwork for Singapore’s recent accession to the World Customs Organisation International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention). During his stint, Singapore Customs signed Authorised Economic Operator Mutual Recognition Arrangements (AEO-MRAs) with Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States, ensuring that Singapore companies which are certified locally as AEOs are recognised by our MRA partners as of lower risks and can enjoy faster customs clearance in our foreign partners’ jurisdictions.

4     Mr Tan Hung Hooi, who is 53, joined the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 1994. He has served in several key appointments in the Home Team over the past 28 years. as the Deputy Commissioner (Policy & Transformation) in the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, Manpower Director in the SPF, as well as Commander of Central Police Division and Police Security Command.

5     In his tenure as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Tan oversaw the SPF’s COVID-19 operations during the pandemic. In addition, he led developmental work across a wide spectrum of policy and ops-tech work, which covered crime fighting, counter-terrorism, protective security, training, community engagement and police regulatory functions.

6     A brief write-up on the new Director-General and outgoing Director-General is attached at Annex A.

7     The Ministry of Finance and Singapore Customs would like to place on record our deep appreciation to Mr Ho for his dedication and invaluable contributions to Singapore Customs, and welcome Mr Tan to Singapore Customs.

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Issued by 
Ministry of Finance Singapore
21 July 2022