In legislative news, lawmakers objected to a bill that would have increased the pay for customs officers who are off-duty.
Earlier this week lawmakers discussed a measure regarding establishing a customs carrier off-duty service customs administrative processing fee for customs and quarantine officers.
According to the bill, currently, there is a $275.00 cap per officer each day – which the bill looks to remove and replace in order to increase officer pay.
After deliberations were made lawmakers objected to moving the measure to the third reading file.
In an interview on Newstalk K57 with Patti Arroyo, Ike Peredo, Director of Customs and Quarantine Agency said that the cap is creating concern and challenges for the department due to recent pay raises and other financial benefits, officers have been exceeding the mandated cap.
Peredo said, ” what we are seeing is officers working exceed the 275 and they are mandated to complete the inspection regardless of whether or not they exceed that limit so what they are doing if they exceed that limit is they will submit a reimbursable voucher for us to pay them government over time and that’s what we are trying to prevent.”
Peredo added that they will continue to keep putting in special requests because this concern is coming from the importing public.
Reporting for the Pacific News Center
I’m Damen Michael
