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7. Custom's Purpose and Organisation


Legislative Basis

The New Zealand Customs Service is a department of the New Zealand Public Service under Schedule 1 of the State Sector Act 1988. Our main function is to administer the Customs and Excise Act 1996.

Customs Outcomes

Customs works towards four outcomes which are stated in our 2008-09 Statement of Intent:
 
  • Protection - New Zealand is protected, at the border, from the entry, or exit, of people, craft, or goods, and Maori taonga and other treasured items, where the entry or exit may pose a material risk to our national interests
  • Facilitation - New Zealand's economic, social, environmental, and cultural interests are sustained and enhanced by facilitating the flow of legitimate trade, travel, and goods, and Maori taonga and other treasured items, across the border
  • Relationships - The New Zealand Customs Service establishes and maintains effective formal and informal working relationships with all stakeholder partners, and effectively supports agreements and treaties with other nations and jurisdictions that enhance our national interests
  • Revenue - Due Customs revenue is collected to support government social, economic and fiscal objectives.

Attached to this briefing is the leaflet Customs Strategic Direction 2008-2011, which was provided to all Customs managers and staff earlier this year.

Border Sector Governance Group

To get the best value from the government’s significant investment in border management, the Border Sector Governance Group (BSGG) was formed in March 2007.

The BSGG’s purpose is to increase the overall effectiveness and efficiency of border agencies collectively through achieving closer collaboration in managing the border. The aim is to provide an integrated and responsive border management system that best serves New Zealand’s interests by facilitating trade and travel while managing risk. The BSGG is currently chaired by the Comptroller of Customs.

The Border Sector Collaboration Strategy 2008-13 sets out the sector’s direction for the next five years. Border agencies are proactively seeking opportunities for working together more effectively as a sector, and are jointly taking account of, and responding to, stakeholder views and needs.

The strategy outlines the priority work programme for the border sector over the next three years comprising four key, inter-related, components. These, together with the results sought from each, are:

  • The Trade Single Window (One entry point for clients to fulfil all import and export requirements)
  • Passenger facilitation and risk management at airports (Streamlined passenger facilitation with improved risk management)
  • Identity at the border for facilitation, protection and partnership (Robust identity assurance for all-of-government regarding entry and exit at the border)
  • A border sector intelligence / risk framework and alert system (Better targeting capability by utilising the best information and intelligence held across agencies).

An important area of focus in the strategy is a stronger joint approach to systems development and implementation. The Joint Border Management System (Customs Service and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) and the Immigration Business Transformation Programme (Department of Labour) system developments involve a high level of border agency consultation and collaboration as they are the building blocks of more integrated border services. In particular, these developments both intersect with and will provide the system capability for the sector work programmes.

Organisation Chart

The Chief Executive of the New Zealand Customs Service is the Comptroller of Customs. Comptroller is the traditional designation of office-holder (as specified in section 5 of the Customs and Excise Act 1996) because it describes the position’s financial management responsibility for Crown revenues obtained by Customs.

The senior management structure of Customs is as below: