PNG Customs Sharpens Cargo Screening Skills with Canadian Expertise

Port Moresby-based officers of the Papua New Guinea Customs Service have completed a two-day specialised course designed to help them spot suspicious commercial air cargo and postal shipments before they cross the border. The training, delivered by counterparts from Canada, forms part of a wider push to modernise how PNG polices its ports of entry.

Fifteen officers took part in the Commercial Air Cargo and Postal Targeting Workshop, held August 3-4, which focused on intelligence-led risk management and modern targeting methods used by border agencies around the world. The Canada Border Services Agency ran the sessions, with backing from Australia's Department of Home Affairs under the PNG Institutional Partnerships Program.

Organisers say the initiative is aimed at giving frontline officers sharper tools to intercept illegal goods moving through air cargo and postal channels, without slowing down legitimate trade passing through PNG's borders.

Chief Commissioner David Towe described the training as a worthwhile investment in the agency's people. "As trade volumes continue to grow, Customs administrations must remain ahead of emerging risks. This training provides our officers with valuable skills and international best practices that will strengthen our targeting capabilities and support more effective border management," he said.

Towe added that the skills gained would flow directly into the agency's core functions of trade facilitation, community protection and revenue collection. "When Customs becomes more effective at managing risks, the benefits extend beyond the border. Stronger compliance, improved trade facilitation and better enforcement all contribute to economic growth, Government revenue and national security."

He also pointed to years of reform already under way within the organisation. "Over the last five years, PNG Customs has made significant progress in modernising its operations, systems and workforce. A key priority for us is ensuring our officers are equipped with the right skills, knowledge and tools to perform their duties professionally and effectively. Programs such as this are essential in building a modern Customs administration that can meet today's challenges and tomorrow's opportunities."

Canada's High Commissioner to Australia, PNG and Solomon Islands, Her Excellency Dr Julie Sunday, addressed the opening ceremony via a recorded video message, pointing to Canada's ongoing commitment to strengthening ties and supporting security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific.