Paying Customs duty could soon be as seamless as paying a utility bill when the Customs Department installs new technology in the arrivals hall at the airport.

Finance Minister Paula Cox said in a speech to the House of Assembly yesterday that she was continuing to work towards modernising the Island?s Customs service with technology geared towards speeding up the process of clearing customs.

She also spoke about the need for increased technology, funding and staff training to help the department achieve this goal.

An ATM is due to be installed in the Arrivals Hall at the Bermuda International Airport and plans with one of the banks are at an advanced stage, according to Ms Cox.

Ms Cox said comprehensive review of security requirements and staffing levels was ongoing, but additional funding was also required to help modernise the department.

As the summer travel season begins, members of the public including locals and visitors have complained publicly about the wait time at the arrivals hall, but Ms Cox said the department is working towards reducing wait times.

?Border control is a challenging process in every country and Bermuda is no exception in these times where security and drug interdiction have become high policy priorities.

?As our Customs Officers carry out simultaneously the security, administrative and revenue collection functions, delays sometimes occur, and yes these delays are inconvenient to residents and visitors alike. After all, security and revenue collection are important. Undue delays however are not acceptable.?

A Customs Automated Processing System known as CAPS should assist in streamlining customs clearance for approved importers and travellers.

HM Customs is also due to sign up to the World Customs Organisation Declaration regarding the deployment of the ?Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade? as part of new developments to revise the framework of the department.

Ms Cox said she was also working on legislation that will make it mandatory for airlines and vessels to provide both Customs and Immigration with electronic manifests in advance of their arrival in Bermuda.

Stating that Bermuda?s Customs Department sits on the cusp of a brand new era, Ms Cox said Customs revenue represented the single largest source of Government revenue.

Customs collected $209 million over the financial year of 2004-2005. Of that figure some $8 million was collected from passengers arriving at the Bermuda International Airport.

?In this vein, our Customs department must be efficient, impartial and user friendly so that the legitimate businesses and individuals can demonstrate their compliance and proceed virtually unimpeded through customs controls,? Ms Cox said.

When it comes to combating the flow of drugs in and out of the Island?s borders, Ms Cox said HM Customs is also working jointly with the Bermuda Police Service in drug interdiction efforts as part of its enforcement strategy.

Customs has also introduced a cruise ship strategy based on used of Police and Customs teams.

Staff training also included customer service programmes to which staff at all levels have given a positive and enthusiastic response, said Ms Cox.

Ms Cox said the Customs Department is also well on its way to being 100 percent Bermudian staffed and several positions have been filled with Tracey Kelly appointed as the New Assistant Collector of Customs responsible for travellers, and William Pearman appointed as the Assistant Collector of Customs (Designate) with responsibility for enforcement. Leanne Tuzo is the Financial Controller Designate.

?The Customs Service globally is undergoing a process of rapid transformation, in its focus and method of delivery and this Government continues to be optimistic as we face a future filled with promise,? said Ms Cox.