Monitors uncover irregularities at Zarqa customs centre

AMMAN — A Public Sector Development Ministry team has conducted an unannounced visit to the customs centre at the Zarqa Duty Free zone, uncovering a number of irregularities. 

The report on the visit, which included a number of negative observations, was referred to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and the Jordan Customs Department, the ministry said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times on Monday.

Before the visit, the team collected information related to the centre’s website and the method in which the operator answer inquiries on services, the statement said, adding that the customs centre was found to have no website, and the operator never answered any of the several calls the inspectors made for two days. 

The inspection team also found that the centre and the Free Zones Corporation share the same entrance which is blocked by a kiosk selling cold and hot drinks, the statement said, adding that the shared entrance is inaccessible for people with disabilities. 

The centre, the statement said, does not include a map showing where to go for each procedure and has an automatic queuing system but it is not activated, the statement said.

Unannounced visits are made to evaluate public services as part of the executive plan of the Public Sector Development Ministry.