Customs to shut down IT system for transfer
(CNS): Importers are likely to experience more disruptions with customs over the weekend as the Customs and Border Control Service will be shutting down its customs online system (COLs) this evening to allow for it to be redirected to the Cayman Islands Government (CIG) eServices sign-in page. The change is being made as part of the government’s efforts to make it easier to conduct business with its services online, officials said.
If the face of long-standing and continued complaints about the ongoing changes around the service offered by customs, officials said the eServices sign-in platform provides a simple self-service interface for people to manage their eServices identity, and sign-in to enrolled government online systems.
“Customers can then be seamlessly authenticated by Line-of-Business applications such as COLS,” officials Friday said in a notice about the transfer. “The online process has also been streamlined by using a two-factor authentication when signing in. This single sign-on process allows existing customers to use their same credentials and will only be required to log on once to access any CIG services enrolled in the single-sign-on platform.”
Customers using the eServices sign-in who have not yet registered a two-factor authenticator will be asked to register a Mobile Authenticator App, phone number, or email address. Any one of which can then be used to authenticate the person during subsequent login requests.
See here for more information.
See the user manual for eServices sign-in.
For assistance in logging in, contact the CBC Customer Support Centre
Monday thru Friday between 8:30am to 5:00pm
Call 649-4576 press 0 and then 1.Customers can also email cbc.onlinesupport@gov.ky.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Government Administration, Local News, Politics
The online system works ok. Unless you get someone on the other side that is incompetent, which happens more than it should. The worst part about customs is the attitude. Especially the 2 women that take your payment. XXX Like honestly, why do we have to be subjected to such awful people. Its just a payment, you don’t need to be such a jerk about it.
Easier to just use a broker and pass all the CIG fees onto the client. As they say here, the cost of doing business.
I’ve been through just about every broker on island and they all seem as disorganised and slow as each other. It seems even though we all use them no one will ever recommend a good one!
I was able to log in this morning and the transition seems to have already happened. No issues at all. I received my one time passcode by email and was in.
I find the COLS website and importing things myself to be no problem at all. So much easier than using a broker!
Who do you use to physically ship your goods?
Oh, come on. The COLs is a breeze.
You miss that Customs hall full of people or what?
I can see this bring a huge nightmare, at least in the short term.
Every time they “improve” things it takes longer and more hardship to get your goods. It doesn’t seem like such a difficult thing to process for sentient people. I mean, how many people does it take to get a single package from the airport to the recipient? It was never simple, but it didn’t used to be insane.
I have almost no faith toward the future of this territory, and our crappy package processing is just a minor indicator of the general meltdown that is in process.
Not fit for purpose
Oh lordy lord. I wish everybody luck.
According to this, the only change is that you will have to login through the Government’s e-services sign-in page (using a 2FA security pin number app), then use the Customs system as normal from there. Isn’t that a good thing?
Sounds academic but to implement it smoothly will be the ultimate test or it’s back to pen and paper for a while. Sort of like bussing a full set of poorly stacked vintage Chinaware, when you’re busting your breaches needing the toilet ASAP. Hope nothing gets “broked”!
Customs doesn’t seem to have ever recovered from this absolute disaster of an IT system introduced pre-pandemic. Personally I have stopped importing much. I’ll just wait till I get off island now. Makes me wonder how much damage this system and it’s introduction have done to the economy here. Many multiples of what it cost would be my guess.
Oh, come on. The COLs is a breeze.
You miss that Customs hall full of people or what?
Two factor authentication is never streamlined. It is always a pain in the neck.
Hopefully, one day, they will improve the whole system/process and stop overcharging customers for “storage”, in part cause CAL cargo doesn’t notify clients on time of their packages arrival, or sending a single order in several different shipments, thus, the extra “warehouse” or “storage” charges …
Although, we appreciate their service, it’d be fair not to be overcharged every single time.
Complaining about the wrong people. CAL are at fault. (Got caught out by CAL non-notification recently as well. Very poor customer service / business process on the part of CAL-Cargo.)
Uh oh … Here we go…