VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKG #0750/01 2391301
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 261301Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6693
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2334
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0516
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000750 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP KBROWN TREASURY E. NEPHEW 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2018 
TAGS: ETRD EFIN TRSY SNAR JM
SUBJECT: NEW COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE 
WITH UPSETTING THE STATUS QUO AND REFORMING CUSTOMS FROM 
TOP TO BOTTOM 
 
REF: KINGSTON 403 
 
Classified By: DCM James T. Heg for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: In his first three months on the job, the 
new Commissioner of Jamaica Customs, Danville Walker, has 
shown that he has no trouble upsetting the status quo. 
Performance highlights from his first one hundred days 
include:  a 25 percent increase in customs' revenue 
collected, the reorganization of the valuation unit, the 
construction of a security wall - overnight, and the 
institution of a no-mitigation policy for Customs' fines. 
Walker's actions have caused an uproar within the Ministry 
of Finance bureaucracy and among some segments of the 
business community.  Walker's response to the controversy. 
He couldn't care less.  End Summary. 
 
Background on appointment 
 
¶2.  (C)  Prime Minister Golding and Finance Minister Audley 
Shaw brought Danville Walker, former head of Jamaica's 
Electoral Division, to run Customs after Walker's 
predecessor, Hector Jones "retired."  Jones' retirement, 
after 39 years of Customs' service couldn't have come 
sooner.  Jones was widely know to be corrupt.  This was not 
the first time Jones was under fire.  His former boss, 
Vinette Keene, Director of Tax Administration for the 
Ministry of Finance tried to fire Jones in late 2006.  She 
was only able to put him on "Administrative Leave," and had 
to return Jones to the Commissioner's chair when the 
political pressure from the former Finance Minister, Omar 
Davies, and others to reinstate Jones became too much to 
bear.  In May 2008, the Financial Investigative Division 
raided the Customs' Valuation Unit uncovering a systemic 
undervaluation of consumer goods that was costing the 
Government of Jamaica millions (GOJ).  After the raid, the 
hand-writing was on the wall, and thankfully, Jones 
resigned.  Unfortunately, according to Deputy Commissioner 
of Police Mark Shields, to this date, there is no criminal 
investigation of Jones. 
 
Background on Walker 
 
¶3. (C) Danville Walker, a dual national (Jamaican/United 
States) comes to Customs from a very successful tenure as 
Director of Elections.  During his ten years at the 
Electoral Commission (EOJ) Walker managed to turn what was 
a disorganized and politicized organization into a 
efficient an professional outfit.  Prior to working for the 
EOJ, Walker spent time as a business consultant turning 
around failing enterprises and assisting new businesses to 
develop.  During a recent interview with the NAS Director 
and ECONOFF it was clear that Walker has in equal measure a 
passion for unlocking the hidden potential of an 
organization and an almost child-like delight in upsetting 
the status quo to create change. 
 
First One Hundred Days -- an absolute success 
 
¶4. (SBU) Walker became Commissioner of Customs on May 30. 
His first 100 days in office have been a whirl of activity. 
Early successes include: 1) the construction over the 
weekend of a retaining wall to improve security within the 
valuation unit by preventing custom's brokers from entering 
what should have been a restricted area; 2) the 
construction within a few days of a new customer service 
area to assist business by insuring that their customs' 
paperwork is filled out properly, thereby not only reducing 
delays for "failed" documents, but also cutting out 
opportunities for Customs' officers to solicit bribes to 
overlook faulty paperwork; 3) the institution of a policy 
of no mitigation for Customs' fines; the reduction of 
manual overrides to safeguard against the rampant 
corruption in the valuation unit 4) the increase in 
customs' revenue by 25 % or USD $5.6 million per month; 
and, 4) the removal of staff from the valuation unit, who 
were implicated in corrupt activities from the FID raid 
(Ref A).  (Note:  2007 - 2008 Fiscal year Customs collected 
U.S. $270 Million in revenue, if the 25% increase continues 
it will mean an additional U.S. $67.5 million in revenue 
for the GOJ.) 
 
¶5. (SBU)  The construction of the retaining wall and new 
Customer Service Area are examples of Walker's "just get 
the job done" work ethic.  These two acts as well as the 
 
 
clearing out of unused space to expand work areas for his 
staff have infuriated the bureaucracy of the Ministry of 
Finance.  Walker has already faced down two sets of 
inspectors from the Ministry who came to demand with what 
money he built the wall and constructed the new customer 
service area, and questioned his "destruction" of public 
records, when he threw out ancient and dusty files from 
Accounting Sections, that had been left behind years before 
when it moved to another part of the building. 
 
¶6. (C) Walker laughed about the "fussy bureaucrats" but 
admitted that until Customs is made an Executive Agency 
with its own budget, he must rely upon the ponderous 
Ministry of Finance bureaucracy.  He stated that the draft 
legislation to convert Customs to Executive Agency status 
is complete.  Apparently the previous administration wanted 
to do so, but the move was opposed by the former Finance 
Minister.  The current Finance Minister, Audley Shaw, and 
Prime Minister Bruce Golding are in favor of Executive 
Agency designation for Customs.  Walker estimates that in 
6-9 months the change will be official.  In addition to 
providing Customs' with its own budget, Executive Agency 
status would allow Walker the opportunity to make all of 
Customs' staff redundant and only hire back those members 
of staff who are worthy.  Walker stated that he is 
reluctant to judge his staff too harshly.  In his view they 
are like abused children.  Walker firmly believes that 
there are good people within the system and at every 
opportunity he reminds his staff that they will get support 
from his office. 
 
¶7. (C) Because of the opposition to Walker that exists 
among the entrenched bureaucrats and business leaders who 
were content with their previous arrangements for the 
importation of goods, Walker is conscious that he has to 
continue to bring in the revenue to ensure political 
backing for what will prove at first to be unpopular 
changes such as his no mitigation policy for example. 
Walker told us that, unlike his predecessor, he will not 
entertain the mitigation of any fines.  Walker fined his 
nephew the equivalent of USD 7,000 for the improper 
importation of a motor vehicle.  Walker shared with the NAS 
Director and ECONOFF that he uses his nephew's fine as an 
anecdote every time a businessman comes to request the 
reduction of a fine levied for improper manifesting of 
goods.  Once he tells that story, the conversation usually 
comes to a close and the fine is paid. 
 
¶8. (C) Now that he has a better handle on its staffing and 
operations, it is Walker's intention to reorganize Customs' 
into five Divisions:  Border Protection, Contraband 
Enforcement, Intel, Revenue/Accounting, Valuation/Audit and 
Compliance.  Walker is disgusted that the current Audit 
Division takes years to complete simple audits.  He wants 
to bring in new more competent accounting staff who are 
experience in auditing, and look at software and other 
computer based monitoring programs that will help focus 
Audit staff on problem areas. 
 
¶9. (SBU)  NAS Comment: Walker is a competent manager, who 
has experience in turning around troubled organizations. 
For all his talents, he does not understand Customs' 
systems.  Based on earlier requests from the Minister of 
Finance and Prime Minister Golding to find a way to assist 
Walker, during the August 11 meeting the NAS Director 
proposed, and Walker accepted, NAS funding for a Customs' 
advisor, term 3-12 months.  INL/LP has already given its 
concurrence for the use of 2005 Border Port Security 
Pipeline Funding for this project.  We also already have 
preliminary agreement with CBP to provision the Advisor 
from its list of retired officers.  NAS will work with 
Walker and the ICE Attachi at post to identify the key 
skills needed and then we will finalize selection with CBP. 
 
JOHNSON