Women constitute 7% of customs employees

AMMAN — Although customs work is perceived as mainly a male-dominated occupation due to the nature of its challenges, Jordanian women have made their mark in the field.

Currently, 167 women serve at the Jordan Customs Department (JCD) — constituting 7 per cent of employees — and they have proven their abilities in supervisory and decision-making positions, according to JCD Director Maj. Gen. Munther Assaf.

“Women undertake various tasks at the department that are in no way less significant than those carried out by their male peers. We have 65 women working at our clearance centres,” Assaf said.

At a ceremony to honour “distinguished” women employees at the department, attended by HRH Princess Basma, he added that women assume auditing, clearance and field inspection posts at the department as well as other jobs that are deemed “dangerous”, such as tracking down companies involved in illicit activities.

The efforts of the men and women of the JCD paid off last year, when revenues generated from collected fines went up by 6.5 per cent, according to Assaf.

He attributed the increase to improvements in money collection, the use of “cutting-edge” technology and a focus on the JCD’s strategic plan.

“The increase in the flow of products in a safe way has reduced the cost of logistics in terms of temporary storage of goods,” Assaf said.

At the ceremony, attended by Finance Minister Umayya Toukan, Princess Basma underlined that women’s access to senior positions, as high as deputy director at the JCD, reflects their ability to cope with different work conditions.

She presented honourees with plaques, toured the JCD headquarters in Amman and was briefed on the application of the electronic tracking system and the duties of customs service departments.