Business View Caribbean | March 2021

83 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN MARCH 2021 KER I CK FARQUHARSON CUSTOMS BROKER about holding tight and riding out the storm.” BVC: Does technology play an important role in your business? Farquharson: “Yes, and the truth is I’ve had to adjust, adjust, adjust because, as you can appreciate, I came into this system in 1982 when the only technology at your fingertips was a calculator. And then I had to learn typewriters, and computers came on the scene, and then the system in Customs was computerized and semi-automated. In 2015/16, we moved across to a different platform known as ASYCUDA and that software system makes the whole Customs service automated. It’s a huge difference in terms of turnaround time, the ease of usage, the applications available. So everything we do online is really technology-driven right now. They are constantly updating and training and we are really reaping the benefits with time saving and efficiency. It was a massive investment by government but certainly a very smart one.” Handshake shared after a conversation with Kerick Farquharson Customs Broker and Business Partner/Freight Services Supplier Douglas Gore of Mobay Freight Services Kamille Farquharson, Customs Broker and daughter of Founder Kerick Farquharson