Commissioner of Customs
Danville Walker is blaming persons with ulterior motives for the confusion
which disrupted the auction of several abandoned vehicles at the Queen's
Warehouse in Kingston.
Attempts by the Customs Department to auction the vehicles on Tuesday and again on Wednesday ended in disarray after bidders complained bitterly about how the exercise was being carried out.
They were particularly upset at being squeezed out by personnel from the Jamaica Constabulary Force who made high bids for the vehicles.
According to Mr. Walker said he was unconcerned about the complaints as they were mainly from unscrupulous persons trying to beat the system after they imported the vehicles but failed to pay the required duties.
"The information I have at my disposal is that persons would come there after not paying the duty. The auction was also a way (for them) to get the vehicle and avoid paying the storage costs.
"Some of the people are grumbling because the ‘dolly house mash up' and it's going to remain ‘mashed up' (as) it will not return to the way it was before," said Mr. Walker.
The Commissioner of Customs also disclosed that the auction has been rescheduled to later this month but will be slightly modified.
"We will be putting new staff in place when the auction resumes and the police are free to come and bid like anyone else and those vehicles that they are successful in bidding for, will be transferred to the police force," Mr. Walker said.
He added that in the future, the minimum reserve price for the vehicles will be based on the customs duties owed on them.
Attempts by the Customs Department to auction the vehicles on Tuesday and again on Wednesday ended in disarray after bidders complained bitterly about how the exercise was being carried out.
They were particularly upset at being squeezed out by personnel from the Jamaica Constabulary Force who made high bids for the vehicles.
According to Mr. Walker said he was unconcerned about the complaints as they were mainly from unscrupulous persons trying to beat the system after they imported the vehicles but failed to pay the required duties.
"The information I have at my disposal is that persons would come there after not paying the duty. The auction was also a way (for them) to get the vehicle and avoid paying the storage costs.
"Some of the people are grumbling because the ‘dolly house mash up' and it's going to remain ‘mashed up' (as) it will not return to the way it was before," said Mr. Walker.
The Commissioner of Customs also disclosed that the auction has been rescheduled to later this month but will be slightly modified.
"We will be putting new staff in place when the auction resumes and the police are free to come and bid like anyone else and those vehicles that they are successful in bidding for, will be transferred to the police force," Mr. Walker said.
He added that in the future, the minimum reserve price for the vehicles will be based on the customs duties owed on them.
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