On October 31, 2024, the Saint Lucia Customs and Excise Department within the Department of Finance successfully hosted a graduation ceremony honoring a cohort of 10 Customs Officers who completed the 2023 Junior Officer Basic (JOB) Course administered through the eLearning platform of the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC). The ceremony took place at the Bel Jou Hotel in La Pansee, Castries, with a small group of invited guests in attendance to mark this significant achievement with the officers.
Mr. Sherman Emmanuel, Comptroller of Customs, expressed pride in the officers’ achievements, and emphasized the importance of their unity and collaboration in building a more productive department. He acknowledged the pivotal role of CCLEC and conveyed gratitude to the Secretariat for its contributions to staff development, not only through training but also through other initiatives.
In his keynote address, Mr. Ricky Jn Baptiste, Director of International Trade and a former Customs Officer, encouraged the officers to serve as quality ambassadors for the Department by upholding high moral and ethical standards in their work. He shared some challenges he encountered while serving as a Customs Officer, noting that these obstacles did not deter him from performing his duties to the highest standards.
Commenting on this momentous occasion, Mr. Claude Paul, Permanent Secretary of the CCLEC and former Comptroller of Customs and Excise in Saint Lucia, lauded the officers’ dedication. He noted that although the program was intensive and the performance of the officers commendable, the results could have been significantly better if they had been given some time off to dedicate towards studying.
The Saint Lucian officers were part of a wider group of 66 students from six other countries who participated and successfully completed the online course with an impressive passing rate of 80%. The course participants were drawn from diverse backgrounds which enriched the learning environment with their varied perspectives and experiences, engaging in interactive sessions to gain comprehensive insights into the intricacies of customs enforcement and collaborative strategies. The successful culmination of the Junior Officer Basic Course marks a pivotal moment for the participants, the home administrations and the CCLEC.
