We often talk about the Customs family. Once a Customs officer, always a Customs officer.
Customs officers protect and serve our borders 24/7 all weeks, months and years. Good weather, bad weather – it doesn’t matter. Customs is there by the border to protect and serve people, often in dangerous and challenging situations.
There is special bond between us. The profession, the job, is the same everywhere – in Brazil, United States, EU, China, India, Singapore, Australia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, UK, Chile, Uzbekistan or UAE – it doesn’ matter. We are all the same, doing the same thing.
Providing security and safety, supporting trade facilitation of medication and medical equipment during pandemic crises, managing trade that drive our economies, that creates jobs and erase poverty – collecting revenue collection that makes it possible to finance schools and health care. Fighting terrorism and organized cross-border crime. The normal day of customs officers.
I started my customs training in 1984 and I have been a proud customs officer in my heart since then. I have worked on all levels of Customs, nationally, regionally and globally.
In World Customs Organization I worked for 182 countries, visited almost all – and worked in more than 120 countries. I left the service in 2012, but I will always be a proud Customs officer with customs friends all over the world.
Today I am an International Customs and Border Expert providing advise to Governments and companies all around the world. I work woth 850 other customs and blrder experts in our company.
I want pay tribute to all the Customs officers out there at our borders. We sleep safe because they are there. We should think about them sometimes. On January 23rd it is the International Customs Day.
For me every day is a Customs Day.
EU Finance ministers agreed yesterday (Thursday) to a common emergency plan to limit the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the European economy.
EU member states have agreed to an emergency response plan of €500 billion.
“This proposal contains bold and ambitious proposals that would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago”, the Portuguese Finance minister and president of the Eurogroup Mario Centeno said in a video conference on Thursday.
“We can all remember the response to the financial crisis of the last decade, when Europe did too little too late. This time around is different.”
The proposal, he added, “implements the strong response that Europe needs”.
Shortly after they reached an agreement, finance ministers enthusiastically announced the news on social media.
“Excellent agreement between EU finance ministers on the economic response to coronavirus,” French finance minister Bruno Le Maire tweeted.
“500 billion euros will be made available immediately. A stimulus package is to come. Europe is standing up to face the seriousness of the situation.”
Le Maire added: “This is an important day for Europe.”
Source: EuroNews
UK Government medical and scientific advisers are still unsure when there will be a peak in the number of infections and fatalities.
Senior ministers are gathering for a “lockdown summit” that is expected to result in restrictions on movement being extended until May at the earliest.
Ahead of the COBRA meeting, hopes of an end to the shutdown of pubs, restaurants, shops and other businesses were all but dashed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and other senior politicians.
Mr Dowden said the COBRA meeting will “determine the process” for how the government will review the lockdown next week.
And he hinted tougher measures could follow, saying ministers will look at the evidence and determine whether to “enhance or change the measures that we are taking”.
Source: Sky News
You must be logged in to post a comment.