Joint Media Release from The Ministry Of Finance and The Ministry of Trade And Industry

ESTABLISHMENT OF SINGAPORE CUSTOMS

1. The Government has decided to form a new department called 'Singapore Customs' to further facilitate trade. It will bring together the revenue enforcement and trade documentation functions of the Customs & Excise Department (CED), and the Trade Facilitation Division (TFD) and Statistical Audit Unit (SAU) of IE Singapore.

2. Mr Ng How Yue, currently the Deputy Director-General (Policy) of CED, will head the department. All CED officers not crossing over to the recently announced Immigration and Checkpoints Authority will join Singapore Customs. All IE Singapore officers in TFD and SAU will also join Singapore Customs.

3. Singapore Customs will have about 400 officers. It will commence operation on 1 April 2003 under the Ministry of Finance.

4. Currently, two separate agencies have functions that affect trade processes. The TFD and SAU of IE Singapore process trade permits, verify the completeness and accuracy of submissions, perform checks on textile firms and issue certificates of origin, while CED performs trade documentation and facilitation and revenue enforcement functions.

5. In most countries, customs and trade enforcement functions are integrated. This allows businesses a single point of contact. Singapore Customs will focus on trade facilitation and revenue enforcement, including trade enforcement measures related to free trade agreements.

MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY