Basham: Southwest border diverts DHS attention, resources

Basham: Southwest border diverts DHS attention, resources Department of Homeland Security officials have been consumed trying to solve illegal immigration problems and developing the multibillion- dollar Secure Border Initiative (SBI) on the Southwest border at the expense of import/export facilitation, cargo security and other traditional activities, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Ralph Basham acknowledged on Monday.
   But Basham, who is still learning the ropes since taking over the agency in June, emphasized that he understands the importance of international trade to the economic security of the country, and pledged to get the manpower to improve the speed of shipments across the border.
   'SBI is literally sucking the wind out of everything else that is going on' within the department, Basham told an audience of trade professionals at the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association's fall conference in Washington.
   'I have sat with the secretary (Michael Chertoff) and deputy secretary (Michael Jackson) and I have explained to them that we cannot allow this initiative on the Southwest border to detract from or denigrate our ability to handle trade at the ports,' Basham said in response to a question.
   'I have talked to them about the need to increase staffing in field operations,' he said, adding that staffing shortages are causing problems such as slowing down the rate of cargo inspections or helping brokers with technical questions on how to fill out customs entries.
   After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, CBP moved many commodity specialists that help importers process their entries to fill the need for additional border and cargo security programs. The agency has about 100 fewer import specialists than in 2002.
   Basham reiterated his pledge to Congress several weeks ago to hire more import specialists by the end of the year to meet legally required staffing levels. And he said he is planning to include requests for more frontline personnel in the 2007 and 2008 budgets to improve cargo processing efficiency.
   'Unfortunately, there is a lot of focus on the Southwest border and getting resources there. But I'm totally committed to make sure that we do not allow that to impede on our ability to do more to get staffing levels' up at other ports of entry, the commissioner said.
   Basham said the reorganization of dispersed trade functions into a single Office of Trade, announced last week, is an example of how he plans to help reduce bureaucratic inefficiency that hinders smooth customs clearance for international goods.
   'Trade should have one place to go to, one place to deal with when it comes to policymaking and decision-making' about individual entries, he said. The move was prompted by the perceived disconnect between how policy is formulated and how it is implemented, with responsibilities spread among two assistant commissioners and three offices, he said. 'I don't think it's going to in anyway denigrate any function of those legacy components' that issue legal rulings, conduct audits and set trade enforcement policy, he said.
   Basham said he was not worried that moving the Office of Regulations and Rulings under the new Trade Office would compromise its legal advice. 'We've got professional people. We will watch it very closely to make sure that doesn't happen.'
   NCBFAA President Mary Jo Muoio said Basham is living up to his word about outreach to the industry, saying he called her to consult about the trade office reorganization.
   Basham said that he also recently met with industry ambassadors for the agency's Automated Commercial Environment processing system.
   'Trade is important to me. Next to my 12 grandchildren you are probably some of the most important people,' he told the audience of about 200 brokers and forwarders.
   On the security front, Basham said DHS supports both versions of port security legislation in the House and Senate because they essentially endorse CBP's cargo security strategy based on risk management rather than 100 percent inspection of containers.
   He said he was glad the Senate rejected 'ill-conceived and unenforceable mandates in the form of largely rhetorical' measures to inspect all 11 million international containers per year.
   To improve targeting, CBP is opening a second National Targeting Center by the end of the year that will focus on analyzing cargo data. The original targeting center will focus on crunching data for passengers and travelers, he said.