The Head of the Civil Service, Hon Franz Manderson and the Financial Secretary & Chief Officer of the Ministry of Finance & Economic Development, Mr. Kenneth Jefferson, are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Charles Clifford as the Collector of Customs, effective 17 August 2015.

“We welcome Mr. Clifford to the post of Collector of Customs and we are confident that, with his vast experience and knowledge as a Permanent Secretary and Minister, he will provide the necessary leadership and support to tackle the challenges facing the Customs Department today.”

Mr. Clifford, an Attorney, is a former Civil Servant of 23 years. He served 17 years with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service where he rose to the rank of Chief Inspector. For a combined period of six years he held the positions of Deputy Permanent Secretary and Permanent Secretary, in succession, in the Ministry of Tourism. Mr. Clifford subsequently served as the Minister for Tourism, Environment, Investment & Commerce for four years.

Mr. Clifford said, “I am very pleased to be returning to the Civil Service at this critical juncture and to have an opportunity to contribute to the further development of the Service and the Cayman Islands in this new role .” Mr. Clifford continued, “As the Collector my primary areas of focus will be on maximizing revenue for Government; succession planning; and establishing a formidable partnership with other law enforcement agencies, such as the Police and Immigration.”

The Collector of Customs, a critical position in the Cayman Islands Government, is ultimately responsible for the collection of import duties, package taxes and warehouse fees and the prevention of the importation of illegal goods into the Islands.