Customs chief wants streamlined goods assessment

Oceania Customs Organization consultant Jeff Blackburn, left, talks with Finance Secretary Larrisa Larson, right, and Division of Customs Services director Jose C. Mafnas after their meeting last week at the Customs office at the seaport. (Jon Perez)

Division of Customs Services director Jose C. Mafnas said they are in the process of streamlining their system of assessing goods that are entering the CNMI. Customs handles the collection of duties charged by the government on imported goods.

Mafnas said he personally feels that his division was effective in the last fiscal year but believes they could still improve the system, especially with increased activity and traffic expected in the coming months.

“We do feel that we performed better this year, but I think we can improve things, [especially] when we are anticipating an increase in travelers and cargoes to the CNMI,” said Mafnas.

Customs collected $43.3 million in taxes in fiscal year 2016, an almost 25-percent increase compared to $32.5 million in 2015.

Customs’ system of having a cost range assessment of commodities and goods helps them in the fair assessment of value. “I know importers want their goods to be released quickly, but we cannot be content with one container so we have to come up with strategic plan to address this issue.”

“We want to be fair in valuing goods and we don’t want to overcharge it. We would try to establish an evaluation process that would not only set a fair assessment but also improve the movement of passengers and cargo,” he added.

Mafnas’ division has also considered importers who are low risk for smuggling drugs and other illegal substances but poses a higher threat in terms of undervaluing the contents of their cargo or who chooses not to declare their goods.

Following international standards and emulating the strategic plan the Oceania Customs Organization is using is among their goals. He visited Fiji last month where he saw firsthand how the system works.

“That is something we are looking to adopt here in the CNMI and I think it would greatly help our operations. That is something that we need to embrace and adopt here. We expect the strategic plan to be completed in March next year,” said Mafnas. “We want to align with OCO where we expect an increase in cooperation and border security. This would improve our revenue collection and reinforce our program in securing our borders.”

Last week, OCO consultant Jeff Blackburn visited the CNMI where he observed and assessed the system used by the CNMI Customs Division.

Blackburn is a trade and customs consultant hired by OCO, and the CNMI is among the 24 member countries in the region.