The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol is consolidating operations on St Croix, streamlining some processes to free up more personnel for security work while trying to make life easier for the trading partners who rely on the agency.
Officials from the agency met with shippers, importers, agents and others to explain the changes, which are the first in the Customs operations on the island in 10 years. The audience of about 30 seemed not entirely convinced that the changes would make their lives easier.
"CPB understands that every step we take to enforce the laws has a direct impact on you," said Marcelino Borges, the director of field operations from the San Juan office. He said that sometimes changing a process or rule can have unexpected consequences elsewhere in the process, and he and his staff wanted feedback to how to make the new processes work better.
Thursday’s meeting at the Henry Rohlsen International Airport was one in a series to work with stakeholders in the customs process to make the system work more efficiently for everyone, Borges said.
The biggest change—and the one that drew the most negative comments from the audience—was the closing of the customs office at the container port on the south side of the island, consolidating its operations with the air cargo office at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport just a 10 minutes’ drive away. CPB will continue to operate out of Gallows Bay, as well.
Several importers said it didn’t matter how close the airport office was if they have to drive over the island and back to Gallows Bay to file papers, especially with so much road construction going on between the two sites.
"It makes what used to be a 10-minute drive and made it over an hour," said one man in the audience, who did not give his name.
Other changes include the way documents are filed, the numbers of documents (which have been significantly reduced) and the scheduling of inspections.
Shippers, importers and agents won’t need to wait in line at the office for their documents to be processed and their cargo cleared without knowing for sure when that might happen, said Glenn Washington, the assistant area port director. The result of the changes would be reduced time for document processing and reduced waiting time for clearing cargo.
"I think with these new procedures in place we have reduced the waiting time significantly," Washington said.
By reducing the number of people pushing papers in offices, Borges said CPB will be able to put more manpower into securing the territory.
"I need to position my resources to protect you," he said.
At the same time, he added, it’s not a matter of seeking a balancing act, giving on one side to bolster the other. He said his goal is to both streamline cargo processing and improve the territory’s economy, while at the same time provide greater security.
Ultimately, the goal is to bring all the sections together into one central office, but that facility doesn’t currently exist, Borges added.
The audience also included a representative of the governor and of Delegate Donna Christensen, and Sen. Sammuel Sanes.
