Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, urged the newly recruited Customs Officers to serve the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) and the nation to the best of their abilities and to fulfil their obligations with professionalism, diligence, integrity, and honesty.
He was speaking, today at the Integrated Customs Clearance Centre in Plaine Magnien, during a Passing Out Ceremony organised for 68 Trainee Customs Officers enlisted at the MRA Customs.
The Director-General of the MRA, Mr Sudhamo Lal, the Director Human Resource and Training Department, Mr Dhoojanaden Maunikum, and other personalities were present.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that the country relies on the new recruits for the efficient implementation of trade policy measures, as well as to protect the society against illicit trade.
He emphasised the crucial economic functions of Customs, such as the implementation of trade facilitation measures for legitimate access across borders and recalled that the MRA has recruited 177 trained customs officers since 2021.
He called on the MRA to continuously upgrade its detection tools to ensure the integrity of trades and to provide transparent procedures in the face of a changing business landscape.
Revenue collection, remarked the Prime Minister, is vital to Government’s budget and helps to ensure that various support schemes can be implemented to alleviate the population, in addition to financing infrastructural development works across the country.
On that score, he indicated that for the last financial year, the MRA has paid more than Rs 5 billion to beneficiaries of corporate social governance income allowance; negative income tax allowance; subsidies for bakeries; and compensation for bus operators, amongst others.
The Prime Minister, moreover, elaborated on the new Governmental measures implemented by the MRA, such as the Independence Allowance, the CSG Child Allowance and the Housing Loan Relief Scheme.
Government, he underscored, has also reviewed its taxation policy by introducing the progressive tax system. Furthermore, he underlined the pivotal role Customs play in ensuring the security of the public against illicit drugs, narcotics, and trans-national crimes.
He indicated that drugs amounting to a record of Rs 6 billion were seized since 2015. Such seizures, he stressed, are testimony of Government’s commitment to combat the drug scourge and pursue its fight against drug trafficking.
Government will also continue to provide the MRA with all the required resources in order to operate as efficiently as possible, he stated. In addition, Prime Minister Jugnauth outlined that Government earmarked funds for an integrated single window project to facilitate trade and revamp the existing electronic data interchange system.
A similar project for the port in the pipeline, he added. For his part, Mr Lal congratulated the new recruits for their hard work and dedication during their one-year training programme.
He categorised the job of Customs Officers as challenging and complex, and encouraged the new recruits to implement the skills and knowledge acquired during the training to fulfil their duties to the highest standards.
The Director-General urged the new recruits to stay abreast of new enforcement laws and technologies, be exemplary in their conduct, and always uphold the values of the MRA. He also dwelt on Government’s contribution to the MRA’s progress over the years.
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