Over 5,000 custom staffs to be appointed and assigned across the nation

Over 5,000 employees will be appointed and assigned across the nation to control the illegal trading with the neighboring countries, according to a report in the City News Daily yesterday.
There is not enough strength of staff at the Customs Department to prevent the illegal trade across the country. Currently, the Customs Department has already submitted a proposal to recruit the new customs staffs to the ministry concerned.
When the ministry gives the green light, the recruitment plan will be started.
Currently, there are about 1,700 staffs with nearly 600 of them assigned in border areas, ports, coastal areas and inland customs check points together with the employees from other departments. The department is planning to appoint more customs staffs.
Having not enough customs staffs is making it difficult to take effective legal action against those who are illegally trading across the nation.  The Customs Department seized the illegal treaded goods worth over Ks 7 billion in 2016-2017 fiscal year. Seized illegal goods are mostly beer, alcohol and cosmetics.—GNLM