Singapore Customs

Singapore Customs
Kastam Singapura
Agency overview
Jurisdiction Government of Singapore
Headquarters 55 Newton Road, #10-01 Revenue House, Singapore 307987
Parent agency Ministry of Finance (Singapore)
Website www.customs.gov.sg

Singapore Customs (Abbreviation: Customs; Chinese: 新加坡关税局; Malay: Kastam Singapura;) is a government agency under the Ministry of Finance (Singapore). Singapore Customs was reconstituted on 1 April 2003, after the Customs and Excise Department and the Trade Facilitation Division and Statistics Audit Unit of International Enterprise Singapore (IE Singapore) were merged.[1]

The border function's at the land, air and sea checkpoints were also simultaneously transferred to Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Singapore Customs became the lead agency on trade facilitation and revenue enforcement matters. It is also responsible for the implementation of customs and trade enforcement measures including those related to Free Trade Agreements and strategic goods.

The headquarters is located in Revenue House along Newton Road.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) Refund for Tourists

The Customs of Singapore is assisting on behalf of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) to administer the GST endorsement for the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) at its borders' land, air and sea checkpoints:

History

The Customs department was founded when Singapore was the British Empire's Straits Settlement and later Crown Colony. Established in 1910 under the name Government Monopolies Department, Customs is one of the oldest tax-collecting organisations in modern Singapore to increase the country's state coffers to help fund national programmes. Revenue collection began in December 1909 when the first import duty was imposed on hard liquors. In 1916, the tariff was extended to include tobacco and cigarettes. The collection of duty on petroleum was introduced in 1934. Motor vehicles are also subject to tax and excise duties. Effective 1 January 2012, compressed natural gas (CNG) for motor vehicles is subject to tax and excise duty.

The department has gone through many transitions, mergers and re-organizations in the last century under the government of Singapore. The department's responsibilities in securing Singapore's future are affected by worldwide globalization, market forces and changes in laws, tariffs, trading and traveling trends.

In April 2003, the department was re-constituted as Singapore Customs - a government agency transferred to the Ministry of Finance of Singapore - providing essential services for revenue collection and enforcement, trade documentation, trade facilitation and security functions as Singapore’s single authority on customs and trade regulatory matters.[2]

Primary roles and functions

Singapore Customs' primary roles and functions are:

Organisation & Rank Structures

Singapore Customs is currently headed by a Director-General, who is assisted by a Deputy Director-General, 2 Senior Assistant Directors-General, 4 Assistant Directors-General, a Chief Human Resource Officer, and a Chief Information Technology Officer.

The work of Singapore Customs is performed by the Trade Division, Compliance Division, Human Resource Directorate, Policy & Planning Division, Checkpoints Division, Intelligence & Investigation Division, Corporate Services Division, and the Information Technology Directorate.

Each branch in a division is typically headed by a Chief Superintendent of Customs or a non-uniform equivalent.

The Internal Audit Branch reports directly to the Director-General of Customs.[3]

The rank structure of Singapore Customs is as such

Notes

  1. ↑ http://app.mfa.gov.sg/pr/read_content.asp?View,1763,
  2. ↑ http://www.customs.gov.sg
  3. ↑ "Singapore Customs Organisational Structure" (PDF). Singapore Customs. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
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