My answer to the above question is “Yes”.

It seems to me if customs departments around the world can make their tariffs as confusing as possible they will. The more confusing and frustrating for customers usually means they can arbitral place a fee that will be paid just so the bewildered person can get his goods and go.

In the Cayman Islands the Customs Department has adhered to this unofficial code very successfully. Just take the wedding dress debacle that has been reported recently not only here but across the world.

However, this was small fry. Now our customs department want to know everything about the article you are bringing in – and I mean everything.

As pointed out in a letter to CNS the writer asks:

“Who in the world will benefit by knowing, for example, how many light bulbs we import and whether they are sealed beam lamp units, whether they are halogen, or exceed 200 watts, whether they are fluorescent, or mercury, whether they are ultraviolet, or other, or even parts for a light bulb?”

Answer: Only the Cayman Islands Customs.

Why?

What benefit is it to them or anyone else?

As we reported on May 14^th Cayman Islands Customs are conducting public training on tariffs because of “the introduction of an internationally recognized tariff classification system comprising approximately 5,000 codes for various goods.”

“The harmonized commodity description and coding system is now used with the Department’s upgraded computer system TRIPS (Total Revenue Integrated Processing System) for capturing the detail and statistics of all imports.”

The Department has commenced “a series of familiarization workshops called ‘Completing Customs Import Entry Forms Correctly’, at Customs Headquarters, from 20 -30 May 2014, 9.00am – 10.00am.”

I wonder just how many persons will attend these familiarization workshops?

They have to confirm their attendance in advance.

I would guess not many will show up and I have a gut feeling the department doesn’t expect many persons will

However, when the complaints come marching in they have covered themselves. “We invited you to a familiarization meeting.” they can reply.

The new tariff codes require 8-digit codes with various import duty rates to be input into Customs entry forms. There are 5,000 different item codes that are contained in the 230 page PDF document they have produced.

Yes you did read this right. 250 pages and 5,000 8-digit codes.

The long lines at Customs that were there before this new law are now going to seem never ending. Probably days waiting.

With the government cutting back on civil service staff what ever possessed them to implement this new law that benefits no one? The reverse in fact.

I leave you with the CNS letter writer’s take on all this and I agree 100% with him.

“The implications of this will be felt by every man, woman and child in the Cayman Islands in more ways than one. While it is true that the average person does not ever have to go to Customs or directly pay import duties, everyone who buys products locally that are imported is paying the total costs that importers pay, plus the profit added by those importers. We can all therefore expect a substantial price increase that will result from the increased labour costs by merchants which this new and improved law will bring.

“The present number of employees of the Customs is insufficient to meet the new demands of implementing this law. This means increased labor expenses for Customs and a bigger chunk out of the net amount collected by Customs in order to pay for additional labor expenses.”

And you all thought customs here were making life hard before all this nonsense and costly red tape was brought in? Those, my friends, were “the good old days”.

Now the goods will be harder to collect but customs will know 8 things about your toothbrush – colour, size, weight, how many bristles, hard, soft, medium and length.

But what will they do with all this information?