Accountability to clients
Client service
The Client Service Charter outlines Customs service principles, and key service standards. The charter recognises that quality of service to clients is important to the community’s confidence in Customs.
The charter is available in Customs offices, on the Customs Internet site, and is distributed at airports, exhibitions, forums and client meetings. It advises clients that, at any time, they may take their complaint to the Commonwealth Ombudsman, their Federal Member of Parliament or the Federal Minister responsible for Customs.
Social justice and equity
The range of Customs activities affects people from a wide variety of cultural and social-economic backgrounds. To be an effective agency, Customs must be aware of how its operations and services impact people in the community and overseas. Customs ensures that access to information and services is equitable.
Social justice and equity impacts and strategies are incorporated in the Social impact section of Sustainability.
Information on workplace diversity is under Human Resource Management and the Commonwealth Disability Strategy at Appendix E.
Customs teams – protecting a unique border
Steve Jeffs, Customs Manager Torres Strait with the Daru manager of the Papua New Guinea Internal Revenue Commission Les Ture and Pajaro Agia.
The 1978 Torres Strait Treaty allows free movement of traditional people and goods of both countries for traditional activities. The treaty recognises that the Islanders of the Torres Strait and people of the adjacent coastal area of Papua New Guinea have traditionally mixed and traded with each other. These movements, without need for passports or visa, number some 50 000 annually.
The Torres Strait comprises over 100 islands, sand cays, reefs and rocky outcrops of which 14 are inhabited. The administrative centre is at Thursday Island, while Horn Island is the international airport clearing approximately 500 international flights per year.
Customs maintains regular discussions with Papua New Guinea including talks with Papua New Guinea Customs (Internal Revenue Commission) and the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary to share intelligence and information. This combined enforcement effort addresses transnational crime that affects both countries and brings together officers who work in the Torres Strait and Daru (the administrative centre for the western provinces of Papua New Guinea). Customs also participates in the annual Treaty Liaison Meeting to discuss relevant treaty issues.
Customs has ten staff, including two Coastwatch officers, based on Thursday Island. It also has five Torres Strait Customs officers, one each based on Thursday Island, Saibai Island, Mabuiag Island, Coconut Island and Darnley Island. Coastwatch operates two helicopters from Horn Island. These assets are vital in supporting operational response activity throughout the Torres Strait.
Improving service to our clients through the Customs Information and Support Centre
In June 2005, the Customs Information and Support Centre (CI&SC) completed its second full year of centralised operation in Sydney. The CI&SC handles inquiries on cargo systems and provides general information on Customs services and procedures.
The CI&SC handled more than 550 000 cargo systems and general information inquiries from across Australia, an increase of nearly 19 per cent from 2003–04. Contacts included:
- 439 000 telephone calls
- 89 000 emails
- 23 000 inquiries by facsimile
- 1900 inquiries by letter/counter/meetings.
The CI&SC played a key supporting role when the exports component of Integrated Cargo System (ICS) became available to industry in September 2004. It will play a similar role for the release of the imports component of ICS in the second half of 2005.
The number of calls increased dramatically after the release of the exports component of the ICS. In one peak period in October 2004, Customs received over 2500 calls a day resulting in some callers waiting longer than expected. Nearly 54 per cent (1336) of these calls were for ICS support.
Customs has improved the cargo system support function, particularly through the provision of a 24-hour seven-day a week support service. A new user support framework came into operation on 4 April 2005, implementing a multi-tiered structure, with first level support in Sydney and second and third level support in Canberra.
The CI&SC relocated in December 2004 from its Sydney city location to the new Customs House at Sydney International Airport. This relocation enabled the CI&SC to upgrade its telephony and improve client service delivery.
Strategies to further improve service to clients included installing a call centre management system in late February 2005 for real time monitoring and management of calls. The centre also recruited and trained an additional 16 staff. These improvements are expected to reduce call waiting times.
Complaints and compliments
The Complaints and Compliments Management System invites the public to comment on Customs services:
- email (comments@customs.gov.au)
- the Customs Internet site (www.customs.gov.au)
- freecall (1800 228 227).
Quarterly reports are published on the Customs Internet site.
Customs investigates all formal complaints and aims to respond to clients within 15 working days. This standard was achieved in 97 per cent of cases. Complaint trends are regularly monitored to identify possible service improvements.
Customs received 2319 complaints and 789 compliments in 2004–05. Of these, 267 complaints and 10 compliments related to other agencies and organisations and were forwarded for action.
Customs processed approximately 10 million incoming international passengers and received 1121 complaints and 262 compliments related to passenger processing, about one complaint for each 40 000 passengers entering Australia. A total of 245 (22 per cent) of these complaints related to revised passenger duty free concessions from February.
A total of 263 complaints were received about the (CI&SC), principally about waiting times. With the improvements to the CI&SC, the number of complaints reduced. A total of 100 compliments were received about the CI&SC.
Complaints about Container Examination Facilities operation and targeting fell from 295 in 2003–04 to 219 this financial year, about one complaint for every 600 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) x-rayed. The majority of these complaints related to delays caused by the inspection process. Additional Container Examination Facilities shifts and credit card facilities for payment of duty were introduced to address these complaints.
Compliments related primarily to officers offering assistance and being helpful, professional or informative. Customs staff members are advised of personal compliments.
Environmental accountability
Customs reports annually on its performance on ecologically sustainable development and environmental matters under section 516A of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Reporting requirements are included in the Sustainability section to follow.