Data Culture, the Obstacle to SMART Customs in the Face of Disruptive Innovations – a Jamaican Perspective

Abstract

An immature, underdeveloped data culture limits a digitised strategy (which has been seen as the best approach to treat the complexities of e-commerce and ‘fast couriers’) and stands in the way of the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) developing its capacity as a truly SMART (Secure, Measurable, Automated, Risk management based, Technology driven) administration. A commitment to paper-centric processes, disjointed legacy systems, fear and mistrust of technology, a lack of regard for data integrity and an underdeveloped appreciation for the need for advanced technology that facilitates necessary cooperation and collaboration of internal and external data flows are evident oppositions to data proficiency, and a foothold on e-commerce. JCA’s information management and border professionals have shed light on the challenges that disruptive innovations in the form of e-commerce and ‘fast couriers’ present to border management, and expressly identifies big data as a hopeful strategy to overcome current challenges. However, there is an acceptance of the fact that stakeholders need to develop an appreciation for data and its relevance in modern customs operations, as this is the key to a proactive Customs that can conduct intelligent targeting and make decisions based on evidence. Current trends in cross-border e-commerce and the legal and technological adaptations that have been necessary in Europe, Africa, Middle East and parts of the Caribbean have been cited as models for policy adjustments that the JCA could consider. In addition to its development of local standards for data management and technology that would foster the appetite of internal stakeholders, the JCA also needs to look to national technocrats for policy provisions to facilitate data use and flows among Border Regulatory Agencies (BRAs). The JCA should also appeal to national technocrats to institute policies related to and provide the requisite technological infrastructure to facilitate big data management locally and cross-border.