Customs services struggling to keep up

While most sectors in the Faroese industry are enjoying significant growth these days, the number of customs officers has remained the same for many years.

With only 14 customs officers being responsible for inspecting all imports, exports and people travelling in and out of the country, the work burden has reached a critical point for the country’s customs officers.

“An inevitable consequence of the huge increase in volume for us to inspect and the number of customs officers remaining unchanged is that our service has become worse,” says Jens Christian Olsen, who heads tax and customs authority TAKS’s customs department.

He says that at least three or four additional customs officers are needed to keep up with the current demand.

Translated by prosa.fo