BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, April 2, 2014 (Customs PRO) - Twenty-five junior officers from St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat received their course certificates from Prime Minister, Dr. Rt. Hon. Denzil Douglas, in a passing out ceremony on Monday, March 31, 2014.
In the presence of government and other dignitaries, family, friends, colleagues and the media the tenth class of the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) Junior Officer Basic Training Course came to solemn yet celebratory close.
The proceedings were ably chaired by Customs Officer Grade III, Mr. Calvin Powell.
Course highlights and overview were presented by Mr. Theodore Brown, Assistant Comptroller of Customs with responsibility for Training. He outlined that the course was both competitive and interactive and all participants exhibited a willingness to learn and grow in their careers as border security officers.
In his feature address to the gathering Prime Minister Douglas outlined the roles of Customs and Excise in border security and revenue collection. “Under the authority of the laws of this land, the department has been mandated to uphold and secure the integrity of this nation. I am happy to say that the officers of this department have continued to be conscious of this mandate and have used cutting edge technology and strategies to meet the ever growing threats they confront,” Prime Minister Douglas said.
Dr. Douglas outlined that the expanding roles of Customs in areas of trade facilitation and customer service demands that our officers are expertly trained as the nation seeks to meet the challenges of trade liberalisation which vulnerable economies of small developing states like ours confront.
Looking back to the role the department has played in trade facilitation, Prime Minister Douglas said, “There has been no economic policy or trade agreement in which Customs had not played an integral role in shaping, implementing or facilitating. In each case, the department has functioned in a manner that has been indispensible to the economic advancement of our country.”
Dr. Douglas however sounded a word of caution to the officers that they must each practice their careers with integrity.
“Effort will be needed on your part to maintain your integrity and the integrity of your department and that of the government. Integrity is the fabric of which character and reputation are made. Only fabric of the genuine article stands the tests of time,” Prime Minister Douglas told the class of newly trained officers.
The proceedings rounded out with the distribution of certificates and awards by Prime Minster Douglas, Financial Secretary, Mrs. Hilary Hazel and Acting Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Georid Belle and an address by class valedictorian, Miss Junicia Ryan.
Miss Ryan outlined the virtues of training and the growth she and her classmates received over the eight weeks of intense training.
The participants of the Tenth CCLEC Junior Officer Basic Training Course were Junicia Ryan (first place), Orisford White (Montserrat - second place), Thea Hazel (third place), Alvanez Harris (Best on Range), Jervian Boatswain (Montserrat), Christopher Broadbelt (Nevis), Joanne Eddy, Ian French, Dedrie Greenaway (Montserrat), Clifton Harrigan (Nevis), Najae Hector, Kenya Henry, Kimoy Henry, Thyron Jeffers (Nevis), Djavan Martin, Kersha Martin, Lilamae Martin (Montserrat), Charlene Mitchelle, Lé Shanda Rochester,, Shaquan Tyson (Nevis), Trishnel Warner, Vibert Whattley, Erasmus Williams Jr., Sherizan Williams and Tonica Williams.
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