Minister of Customs (New Zealand)
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New Zealand Customs Service Te Mana Arai O Aotearoa (Māori) |
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Logo of the New Zealand Customs Service
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Flag of the New Zealand Customs Service
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| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1840 |
| Employees | Approx 1,300 |
| Annual budget |
Vote Customs Total budget for 2016/17 $214,024,000 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | New Zealand |
| Governing body | New Zealand Government |
| Constituting instrument | Customs and Excise Act 1996 |
| General nature |
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| Specialist jurisdiction | Customs. |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | The Customshouse, 1 Hinemoa St, Harbour Quays, Wellington |
| Minister responsible |
Hon Tim Macindoe, Minister of Customs |
| Agency executive | Carolyn Tremain, Comptroller of Customs and Chief Executive |
| Facilities | |
| Stations | 23 |
| Website | |
| www |
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The Customs Service (In Māori, Te Mana Arai o Aotearoa) is a state sector organisation of New Zealand whose role is to provide border control and protect the community from potential risks arising from international trade and travel, as well as collecting duties and taxes on imports to the country.
New Zealand's Minister of Customs is Tim Macindoe.
The New Zealand Customs service is the oldest government department in New Zealand. Formed on 5 January 1840, it pre-dates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi by one month. Its early establishment was necessary to collect revenue for the fledgling government, and over the years duties, tariffs and taxes collected by Customs have remained a major source of revenue for the country, although customs has also been used to impose various control over the movement of people and the distribution of particular products, in particular alcohol and tobacco.
In 1996, the New Zealand Customs Department was renamed the New Zealand Customs Service.
In recent years the Customs Service has modernized itself in order to keep pace with new technologies and the ever increasing volumes of international passengers and trade, while balancing its law enforcement and compliance obligations. Staffing levels sit between 1300 - 1500 nationally, with its head office located in Wellington. Staff are based at various ports and locations around New Zealand and are a mixture of frontline uniformed staff such as those seen at the airports and sea ports, as well as plainclothes staff in varying other roles.
The Customs Service is a law enforcement agency in its own right, and is responsible for intercepting contraband, and checks international travelers and their baggage, as well as cargo and mail, for banned or prohibited items. Contrary to popular belief, it is not responsible for biosecurity items such as food and other agricultural items declared at ports of entry - this is the responsibility for the Ministry for Primary Industries. Customs is also responsible for assessing and collecting Customs duties, excise taxes and Goods and Services Tax on imports and protecting New Zealand businesses against illegal trade. It is second only to the Inland Revenue Department for the amount of revenue it collects for the New Zealand Government. It exercises controls over restricted and prohibited imports and exports, including objectionable material (such as child sex abuse images), drugs, firearms and hazardous waste and also collects import and export data.
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Wikipedia