When the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, assumed office late last year, he outlined five key objectives for the department, including promotion of trade and clearance facilitation. In an interview with the Customs News, the Commissioner noted the department previously relied heavily on frontline officers' experience and intelligence analysis in handling the enormous volume of passengers and goods every day. To address this challenge, the department is now advancing towards "Smart Customs" by utilising big data and artificial intelligence (A.I.) to help identify high-risk passengers and goods.
The implementation of Smart Customs provides passengers with a smoother clearance experience while optimising cargo inspections. "High-risk goods will be subjected to more thorough inspections, while other goods will undergo fewer checks, thereby enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness as a logistics hub," the Commissioner explained.
He further revealed the department's plan to adopt video analytics technology in passenger clearance channels to strengthen front-line officers' ability in identifying high-risk passengers. "Precision in targeting will reduce unnecessary inspections for other passengers," he added, while noting that achieving this goal will take time. The department is currently developing the Smart Customs Information Technology Infrastructure, which will be equipped with A.I. computing capacities.
For cargo clearance, the Commissioner underscored that Trade Single Window (TSW) Phase 3 would start to be rolled out next year. This new system will facilitate traders to submit pre-shipment cargo information, including Cargo Manifest and Import/Export Declaration to Hong Kong Customs. By expanding the limitation from the current eight items of Advance Cargo Information for risk assessment to more than 30 items of pre-shipment trade documents, Customs officers will be capable of conducting more precise assessment with A.I. and big data analysis for identification of suspicious cargoes for inspection. "We will explore all possible ways to improve the efficiency of Customs clearance without compromising security," the Commissioner added.
Another major goal outlined by the Commissioner earlier is talent development. In addition to strengthening training for officers, he also encourages staff to further pursue studies, particularly in big data analysis, which is increasingly vital to customs operations. "The world is changing rapidly, especially in terms of technological advancements. As the head of the department, I, along with my team, cannot fall behind. We need to seize this opportunity to improve ourselves," said the Commissioner, highlighting his commitment in transforming the department into a highly professional enforcement agency.
Hong Kong Customs has been strengthening its ties with international customs administrations. Earlier this year, the Commissioner has met with the Director-General of the Customs Administration of the Netherlands, Mrs Nanette van Schelven, and the Director-General of Abu Dhabi Customs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mr Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, to exchange views on customs affairs and trade facilitation.
To further deepen international collaboration and broaden officers' horizons, the department has been encouraging secondments of junior and mid-level officers to international organisations in recent years. Since 2012, an Assistant Superintendent has been seconded to the World Customs Organization (WCO) headquarters in Brussels. Additionally, the department will soon deploy another Assistant Superintendent to INTERPOL's headquarters in Lyon to coordinate work related to intellectual property protection. Other recent secondments include a Senior Inspector in Tokyo, working at the WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific, and another Senior Inspector in Bangkok, serving at the WCO Asia/Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building.
The Commissioner hopes that these secondments would broaden officers' international perspectives. "Our long-term goal is to have Hong Kong Customs officers assume leadership positions in international organisations," he said. He highlighted the success of Mr Li kin-kei, who was seconded to the WCO headquarters in Brussels as an Assistant Superintendent in 2014 and has already been promoted to Assistant Commissioner, overseeing the Secretariat Office of the WCO Vice-Chairperson for the Asia/Pacific Region.
■The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat shared the department's future plans in an interview with "Customs News".
■The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat (right) held a bilateral meeting with the Director-General of the Customs Administration of the Netherlands, Mrs Nanette van Schelven (left), at the Customs Headquarters Building on 4 April .
■ The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, met with the Director-General of Abu Dhabi Customs of the United Arab Emirates, Mr Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, at the Customs Headquarters Building on 21 February to enhance co-operation and establish closer ties. Photo shows Mr Chan (centre), Mr Al Mansoori (second left), and other attending officers.
