Fact Sheet

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September 2003

Customs Invests in A Smart and Secure Border

The Canadian border today is more secure than ever before. Since September 11, 2001, Customs has strengthened and renewed its management of the border, investing millions in a smart and secure border for Canadians.

In the December 2001 budget, $433 million was dedicated to the CCRA over a six-year period for investment in border security. This included $385 million for Customs, and $48 million in keeping with Treasury Board guidelines pertaining to standard corporate support costs and statutory costs for employee insurance plans and benefit contributions. As of April 2003, $165 million has been spent, with four years of additional investments.

This $165 million includes $19 million in overhead (again in keeping with Treasury Board guidelines), primarily spent on statutory costs for employee insurance plans and benefit contributions and other critical investments such as office accommodations.

Investments to Strengthen Technology at Airports and Seaports

Technology is a critical tool for customs officers in targeting high risk people and goods entering this country at our airports and seaports. Investments in skills and technology so far include:

• $22 million for 11 VACIS machines;
• $7.3 million for over 60 low-energy baggage and cargo X-ray systems;
• $4 million for an additional 81 ion mobility spectrometers;
• $1.5 million to purchase over 200 hand-held inspection tools including fibrescopes, density meters, and sophisticated pole cameras;
• $1.1 million to fund the development and testing of new interdiction technology to detect traces of chemical and biological weapons or agents entering the country ;
• $6 million for the purchase of three gamma-ray pallet-scanning systems to assist in the examination of high-risk marine cargo;
• $4.6 million for the purchase of 400 document readers deployed at 50 sites including international airports, ferry terminals and highway crossings;
• $24 million in the design, development and implementation of software for the Advance Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record program;
• $55 million in salaries for employees, and $8.5 million for operational support costs.

In addition, Customs will be making several other investments, including:

• $2 million for 15 specialized trucks to transport contraband detection equipment;
• up to 15 remote (underwater) operated vehicles to be used to search for contraband and dangerous goods attached to the hulls of vessels;
• $9.5 million for testing of sophisticated radiation detection equipment for use at sea ports and airports.

Investments in a Smart Border

The investment by Customs includes funds for the development and rollout of key border management programs such as:

• FAST: in operation at six of our busiest crossings with expansion to all major commercial crossings by the end of 2004. FAST currently has 4 major importers, 119 carriers and over 10,000 drivers using the program regularly.
• NEXUS: used by 49,000 members at seven major land border crossings.
• CANPASS-Air: program launched at Vancouver International Airport in July 2003 with over 1900 members or applicants to date. Additional CANPASS-Air locations will follow.
• API/PNR: Advance Passenger Information (API) was implemented at eight Canadian airports in October 2002, and Passenger Name Record (PNR) in July 2003.

These programs balance border security with facilitation, allowing program members to move efficiently through Customs so officers can focus on higher risk people and goods.

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