The Customs Department lacks human resources, according to a business strategy published by the department this week.

The department is expected to undergo a drastic shake-up as part of its 2017-19 strategy.

It plans to go on a recruitment drive to boost staffing levels and to tackle the “imbalanced organisational structure” which the strategy says was leading to an unproductive use of resources.

Plans are afoot to relocate Customs House, based at Lascaris Wharf in Valletta, to a more modern building to meet “prevailing health and safety regulations”, the strategy says.

The Customs Department is to enter into negotiations with Malta Industrial Parks and Malta Enterprise for the possibility of a new €7.5 million project to relocate Customs House.  The “aging” core ICT systems using “antiquated” hardware are in line for a major overhaul.

Statistics published in the strategy show that for every €1 million spent on the Customs Department, €26 million is returned to the public coffers in the form of duties collected.

The business strategy says that the department will be in a position to improve its ability to target and curb tax evasion.

The department will also tap EU funds, to invest more in non-intrusive  equipment. In addition, it intends to  intensify market surveillance through an increase in investigations.

A €330,000 EU grant has been given to Customs to set up a new canine unit of eight sniffer dogs.

Customs said this was part of an effort to combat contraband trade in illicit goods, particularly cigarettes and tobacco.

The strategy says Customs will also be investing in another X-ray container scanner this year and a full-body scanner next year.