English for customs officers

If you scored above 55, you have lots of work to do in order to become an effective time manager and avoid the stress that leads to productivity problems, stress, burnout, and disease.

The most common areas to look for are:

Not prioritizing tasks

Not scheduling daily, weekly, or monthly activities

Not delegating responsibility

Not being able to say no

Not writing down objectives in order to meet deadlines

Not using a calendar or notebook to organize commitments

Not shifting priorities to make room for more urgent matters or tasks

Not reducing clutter and/or unnecessary paperwork

Not being able to give up total control

Not being able to avoid procrastination

II. Being a manager is a challenging position that requires several skills and aptitudes.

7. Traders don't care how we treat them. They just value what we can

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8. Customs officers shouldn't bother themselves with beliefs, values and ethics.

Yes No

9. The best way to ensure quality is by documentation and statistical

III. Job functions describe your roles, duties and responsibilities in your workplace. Translate the following «Action Verb List» into Russian. Tick the verbs that best describe your future job functions.

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IV. Exercise your brains by solving these puzzles.

1.

2.

3.

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4.

5.

6.

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7.

8.

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UNIT 10. CODE OF CONDUCT

Study the following words and word combinations from the text.

TEXT 10.1. ETHICS AND CODE OF CONDUCT

Public service is a public trust. Therefore, Customs employees have a responsibility to their Government and its citizens to place loyalty to the Government, laws and ethical principals above private gain.

1 Offence – an illegal action or a crime; the act of upsetting or insulting smb.

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Ethics deals with the fundamental issues of practical decisionmaking, and its major concerns include the nature of ultimate value and the standards by which human actions can be judged right or wrong. Ethics is a set of principles which determines standards of personal and professional behaviour. It is not just obeying the law, or sticking to rules and regulations; ethics goes beyond the law to include the way of making and justifying decisions when it is not completely clear what is the right or wrong thing to do.

While there is no set of rules capable of providing answers to all ethical questions which arise, every organization should have a set of rules and guidelines which are the boundaries within which every employee must operate every day. In other words, Code of conduct. Customs Service is not an exception. A Code of Conduct may serve as a guide to solving issues for those working in Customs, and those who have dealings with officers of Customs.

This point was recognized by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration on Integrity in Customs which includes a specific recommendation on the issue of Codes of Conduct. The Arusha Declaration1 states that: «Customs employees should be issued with a Code of Conduct, the implications of which should be fully explained to them. There should be effective disciplinary measures, which should include the possibility of dismissal».

The Purpose of Code of Ethics and Conduct is to describe the minimum standards of behaviour required of all Customs employees. These standards of behaviour shall be demonstrated by all Customs employees and are to serve as a guide when making decisions and taking actions. To ensure public confidence in the integrity of Customs, all Customs employees shall respect and adhere to their particular Code of Ethics and Conduct, which generally comprises the following key elements:

1.Personal Responsibility.

2.Compliance with the Law.

3.Relations with the Public.

1 The Arusha Declaration was initially adopted in 1993 in Arusha, Tanzania. On the basis of the ten year experiences it has been revised in 2003. The Revised Arusha Declaration is the focal tool and central feature of a global and effective approach to preventing corruption and increasing the level of integrity in Customs.

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4.Limitations on the Acceptance of Gifts, Rewards, Hospitality and Discounts.

5.Avoiding Conflicts of Interest.

6.Limitations on Political Activities.

7.Conduct in Money Matters.

8.Confidentiality and Use of Official Information.

9.Use of Official Property and Services.

10.Private Purchases of Government Property by Employees

11.Work Environment.

In many countries a Code of Conduct provides the framework for appropriate conduct in a variety of contexts and establishes standards of behaviour expected of Customs officers. «The Code of Ethics and Conduct Booklet» developed by the Australian Customs Service emphasizes the following issues:

«...Personal Behaviour. Customs officers are to

perform official duties with skills, care, diligence and impartiality, using authority in a fair and unbiased way;

observe acts, regulations, instructions and lawful directions;

provide the public with service in a professional manner;

not take improper advantage of any official information acquired in the course of official duties...»

«Criminal offences. All officers of Customs must comply with the law. Breaches of criminal law will lead to prosecution and / or disciplinary action … Offences relating to legislation which Customs administers are regarded most gravely when committed by Customs officers. Customs officers who commit offences involving prohibited drugs, fraud, accepting bribes, or illegal importation or exportation of goods will be subject to disciplinary action, in addition to any penalty applied as a result of criminal proceedings...»

«Gifts or Benefits. The offering of gifts and / or benefits may be seen as an attempt to influence a decision which an officer is required to take...»

The Customs Service has no right to public recognition or trust if its staff breaks the law habitually. Maintaining an environment that encourages ethical behaviour among all Customs staff must be a high priority for each officer. Customs authorities need to promote a culture which includes such values as honesty, fairness, accountability, professionalism and integrity.

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The CCC's Arusha Declaration defines integrity as a science concerning discipline, professional ethics, courtesy, personal integrity and strictness.

The public is entitled to have complete confidence, trust and respect in the integrity of its Customs administrations and to expect all Customs employees to be honest, impartial and professional in the manner in which they employ their skills, knowledge, experience and official authorities. To maintain public confidence, it is important that Customs employees show the highest standards of integrity in their dealings with members of the public, the business community and other Government officials, and maintain the same standards in their personal lives. It is essential that Customs demonstrate high ethical standards to project an image of Customs that is above reproach.

EXERCISES

I. Are the following words positive (+) or negative (-)?

II. Find the words/phrases in the box which collocate with the nouns in bold.

deliver, win, adopt, settle, face, betray, generate, pay, solve, obey, tackle, impose, enforce, shake, produce, inspire, rescind, violate, collect, to be subject to

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