New Zealand Customs Service
Encyclopedia
The Customs Service 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 tax
es on imports to the country. New Zealand's Minister of Customs is the Hon. Maurice Williamson
.
. Its early establishment was necessary to collect revenue for the fledging 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 1997 the New Zealand Customs Department was renamed the New Zealand Customs Service.
The Customs Service is responsible for intercepting contraband
, and checks travellers and their baggage, as well as cargo and mail, for banned or prohibited items. It 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 exercises controls over restricted and prohibited imports and exports, including pornography
, drugs
, firearms and hazardous waste
and also collects import and export data.
The New Zealand Customs Service works closely with New Zealand's other border agencies, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
and Immigration New Zealand.
In October 2010, then Comptroller of Customs Martyn Dunne
advised a New Zealand Parliament committee that 796kg of Pseudoephedrine, with a value of $90 million, had been seized in the nine months to 30 September, compared with 733kg for the whole year in 2009. It was later revealed that Customs seized over a tonne of pseudoephedrine in 2010.
State sector organisations in New Zealand
Public sector organisations in New Zealand include the State sector plus the organisations of local government.Within the State sector lies the State services, and within this, lies the core Public service....
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
whose role is to provide border control
Border control
Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders.The control of the flow of many people, animals and goods across a border may be controlled by government Customs services. Security is enforced by various kinds of Border Guards and Coast Guards...
and protect the community from potential risks arising from international trade
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
and travel
Travel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
, as well as collecting duties and tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es on imports to the country. New Zealand's Minister of Customs is the Hon. Maurice Williamson
Maurice Williamson
Maurice Donald Williamson is a New Zealand politician, representing Pakuranga in the House of Representatives as a member of the National Party...
.
History
The New Zealand Customs service is the oldest government department in New Zealand . Formed on Janurary 5 1840, it pre-dates the signing of the Treaty of WaitangiTreaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
. Its early establishment was necessary to collect revenue for the fledging 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
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. In 1997 the New Zealand Customs Department was renamed the New Zealand Customs Service.
Responsibilities
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
, and checks travellers and their baggage, as well as cargo and mail, for banned or prohibited items. It is also responsible for assessing and collecting Customs duties, excise taxes and Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (New Zealand)
Goods and Services Tax is a value added tax introduced in New Zealand on 1 October 1986 at 10%. It later increased to 12.5% on 1 July 1989 and was further increased to 15% on 1 October 2010....
on imports and protecting New Zealand businesses against illegal trade. It exercises controls over restricted and prohibited imports and exports, including pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, drugs
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
, firearms and hazardous waste
Hazardous waste
A hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. According to the U.S. environmental laws hazardous wastes fall into two major categories: characteristic wastes and listed wastes.Characteristic hazardous wastes are materials that are known...
and also collects import and export data.
The New Zealand Customs Service works closely with New Zealand's other border agencies, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry may mean the following ministries in several countries:*Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry *Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry *Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry...
and Immigration New Zealand.
Pseudoephedrine
New Zealand Customs officers continue to make significant seizures of pseudoephedrine, a precursor for Methamphetamine. Open source media and Customs reporting to government suggests that pseudoephedrine makes up the large majority of Customs seziures. These seizures have resulted in multiple arrests and successful prosecutions by Customs and Police officers.In October 2010, then Comptroller of Customs Martyn Dunne
Martyn Dunne
Martyn John Dunne CNZM , , soldier and senior public servant, is New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia. He was Comptroller of Customs and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Customs Service and was a career soldier in the New Zealand Army from 1970 ending his military career in 2004 as...
advised a New Zealand Parliament committee that 796kg of Pseudoephedrine, with a value of $90 million, had been seized in the nine months to 30 September, compared with 733kg for the whole year in 2009. It was later revealed that Customs seized over a tonne of pseudoephedrine in 2010.