New Customs Officers Receive training in Monitoring and Control of Trade in Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)

 

ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, Monday, September 1, 2016: As part of the on-going training provided by the National Ozone Unit (NOU) in the Energy Division of the Ministry of Finance and Energy, seventeen (17) new Customs Officers received training in the Monitoring and Control of Trade in Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS). This training is an integral component of the training programme of the Customs and Excise Division.

 

This round of training for Customs Officers started in July of this year with the theoretical component and concluded on September 12^th with the practical exercises that covered the examination of refrigerant cylinders and the use of electronic refrigerant identifiers to identify ODS.

 

The training was conducted by consultant Mr. Gerard James who has been involved in the training of Customs Officers in Montreal Protocol related matters since 2006. This training brings the total number of Customs Officers trained in 2016 to fifty five (55).

 

Addressing the participants in a brief closing ceremony was National Ozone Officer, Mr. Leslie Smith. Mr. Smith commended the Customs Division for the outstanding role they continue to play as a major stakeholder in border protection and the control of trade in ODS and their contribution to the protection of the ozone layer.

 

Mr. Smith told the Officers that new multi-refrigerant identifiers would be provided to the Customs Division in 2017, since the NOU would like to strengthen and enhance the operations of the Customs Division in relation to ODS identification. 

 

This just ended training activity is part of Stage one of Grenada’s ongoing Hydro Chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) Phase out Management Plan (HPMP) that was launched in 2010.  Further training is planned for Customs Brokers in November of this year.

 

Funding for this training was provided by the Multi-lateral Fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol through UNEP as the implementing agency.