HE Chairman of the General Authority of Customs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Jamal said that celebrating the National Day indicates that the people of Qatar are moving forward, while preserving the era of the forefathers, to complete the process of construction, development and prosperity.
He added that this is clear in the immortalization of the history of the founding of this country, and making it a periodic celebration to link new generations to their history and inform them of the achievements of the country, in addition to instilling the values and principles of loving the homeland among citizens and emphasizing the importance of preserving national unity.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE the Chairman of General Authority of Customs said that the day when Founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed took over the reins of government in the country is a historic day for this land by all standards, adding that Qatar, since that day, has been on a continuous development journey towards the future.
The progress achieved by Qatar illustrates the genius and authenticity of this long journey of work and continuous effort that was initiated by the Founder and continued by the great leaders of Qatar who accomplished the desired goal of achieving pride and dignity for everyone who lives in this land, he added.
He noted that the celebrations of the National Day which see interaction of all segments of society in Qatar indicate the role of this occasion in promoting the values of loyalty and belonging to this land and allowing successive generations to learn about heritage and mix the past with the present.
HE Chairman of General Authority of Customs pointed out that the Authority has adopted its future plan several years ago based on the state's focuses as presented in the pillars and objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy (2018-2022). He added that the Authority has identified strategic goals and projects compatible with the state's National Development Strategy while focusing on the economic aspect, as the state included the Authority under this sector in its strategic plan. He explained that the Authority is determined to converge the outcomes of its strategy with the goals of the National Development Strategy in order to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030.
He also said that the Authority seeks, through its current strategic plan, to develop customs services to create a stimulating investment climate and facilitate trade exchange to ensure the flow of goods and commodities to and from the state. Furthermore, the Authority seeks to contribute to the success of the state's efforts in combating terrorist financing and money laundering and raising the efficiency of controlling crimes of smuggling weapons, explosives, narcotics, harmful psychotropic substance and dangerous materials, in addition to raising Qatar's rank in international reports related to indicators of logistical performance, economic competitiveness and the quality of customs services in general.
The chairman affirmed that the Authority has followed the directions of the Ministry of Public Health and the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management in implementing all precautionary measures to combat coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. He pointed out that one of the most prominent of these measures is the implementation of the Amiri decision to exempt food commodities and medical materials from customs duties for nine months, explaining that the Authority cancelled the customs duties imposed on 905 commodities included in the Customs Clearance 'Al-Nadeeb' system. These commodities varied from basic food to medical supplies for personal use and household hygiene supplies, he added.
HE al-Jamal stressed that Qatar proved to the world its ability to withstand the challenges it faces, which gave the country more confidence to continue building its cultural and political model with persistence and boldness.
