BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (SKNIS) – Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew has welcomed the commencement of a training programme for junior officers of St. Kitts and Nevis Customs and Excise Department.
The honourable prime minister was at the time addressing the opening ceremony for the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) Junior Officers Basic Training Course on Monday, February 06, 2023, at the Customs Conference Room.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Dr. Drew impressed upon the junior officers the significance of the Customs and Excise department to the overall safety and security of the Federation.
“This department is extremely important and, therefore, it is important that training be a fundamental part of this department,” Dr. Drew said. “I expect all of you to make the most of what you learn here this week [and] to put what you learn into practice to achieve the best results possible. I trust that this will result in significant and qualitative changes in this department.”
Prime Minister Drew stated that exercises like the CCLEC Junior Officers Basic Training Course are in line with the mandate of his administration to strengthen the nation’s border security which will help to create a Sustainable Island State.
“The island state agenda is critically important, but what is most important is that it must be done in a sustainable way. Therefore, to do so, we aspire to continue building our human and physical capital through strategic planning and continuous training, to apply new ICT solutions to expand border security activities, and to promote justice and transparency through systematic and standardized procedures,” the prime minister said.
Prime Minister Drew added, “This training certification will allow for significant, holistic improvement in our law enforcement system. This can only be achieved if you choose to apply yourselves and present the best that you have to offer our nation. Therefore, I implore you to continue to work hard to strengthen and improve and ready yourselves to tackle any current or new demands.”
The month-long capacity-building exercise will expose untrained officers to the necessary skills needed to increase their effectiveness in protecting the nation’s borders from the illicit movement of goods and people.