THE Customs New Recruits Number Sixth of the Solomon Islands Customs and Excise Division (SICED) of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) have now joined the Customs & Excise Workforce after having successfully completed the Customs New Recruit Induction Training program and received their official Certificates of Completion on Friday, 6th March, last week.
The training aims to train the recruits in different Customs specialized areas—such as cargo examination, passenger processing, revenue assessment, and risk management—to ensure they possess a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary skill set necessary for modern border management.
Participants were able to train, enhance, and develop necessary skills and knowledge to perform base-level Customs functions in the key Customs & Excise operational work areas.
The course consists of 16 weeks, which comprises 10 weeks of classroom-based training and 6 weeks of On-The-Job (OJT) placements for practical-based learning and development in areas such as revenue assessment, classification and valuation of commodities in the Customs Long Room, cargo examinations at the seaport and Henderson examination facility, and passenger processing at Henderson International Airport.
As of Monday, the 9th of this week, these 22 new cohorts have been deployed and placed into various sections/Units on a rotation basis through different sections within the division.
Speaking on behalf of the Customs Comptroller and the Senior Executive Management Deputy Comptroller for Corporate, Hellen Ha’apisi, to mark the official Graduation Ceremony, she officially congratulated the trainees for their commitment, perseverance, and dedication to the successful completion of the Customs New Recruit Graduate Program
“Our work is to protect our government. Our work safeguards our economy. Our work serves the people of Solomon Islands.
“Each of you carries a responsibility to help ensure that Customs operates efficiently, professionally, and with integrity.
“Let the values of this organization guide your conduct and every decision you make every day,” Ha’apisi stressed.
She also urged the officers to carry out their Customs duties with great responsibility, great trust, and expectations, and to work with pride in the Customs and Excise Division.
“Come to work with passion, come to work with purpose, and come to work with determination to make a difference.
“Every Customs Declaration you will process, every inspection you will conduct, and every decision you contribute to will strengthen the credibility of the Customs and Excise Division.
“Be reminded to stand tall as Customs officers, serve with integrity, protect our borders, and support legitimate trade,” the deputy comptroller emphasised.
The Customs Advisor Stuart Millen, who headed the training course encourage the Customs officers to be courageous in the face of adversity to protect the citizens and the revenue.
“We must also be compassionate, as many of the people that we encounter in our day-to-day work have done nothing wrong.
“Continue to learn, continue to ask questions, continue to challenge yourself and those around you.
“Respect your Customs organisation, its values and its leadership to raise the standards of Customs work and reputation within the Solomon Islands and the Pacific region, and the entire country will respect you,” the Customs Advisor Millen concluded.
SICED faces many challenges, skill gaps, increasing trade changes and demand, evolving border threats, and the need to modernize Customs systems and processes. The challenges require capable professionals and a dedicated workforce, and the need for recruitment. The new officers were recruited by the Customs and Excise Division in accordance with the Public Services recruitment procedures, processes, and strict guidelines.
Since the introduction of this program, the intake marks the 6th Batch of Recruits, and the largest number of officers have been recruited into the division. The number of Customs Officers has now grown from 100 to 172 as part of this program. This reflects the strong commitment of Customs and Executives to invest in young professionals to strengthen the future of Customs Administration in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands Customs and Excise Division is implementing a Reform and Modernisation strategy that mirrors the principles that the World Customs Organisation recommends to all Nations. The foundation of the Customs Reform Program is built on the people that Customs Recruits as the priorities of the government and the demands of international trade changes.
“The Customs New Recruit Induction Training program” runs for approximately 4 Months from 10th Nov 2025 to 06th March 2026.
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